


A Link in a Chain

by Kin29



Series: Breath of the Wild REBORN [1]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canonical Character Death, Gen, Minor Original Character(s), Non-Canonical Character Death, Original Female Link Character, Sheik (Legend of Zelda) is a Separate Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:42:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 33
Words: 307,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27052855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kin29/pseuds/Kin29
Summary: A century ago, the Great Calamity destroyed Hyrule Castle town, but thanks to the efforts of the Champions and Hyrulean soldiers, the Hylians residing in the town survived and fled to the four corners of Hyrule. Now a young girl from Lurelin Village is called to action by the mysterious Sheikah monks.*This story is a deconstruction of the entire Legend of Zelda mythos, as told through the characters and world of Breath of the Wild and contains trigger warnings for: post traumatic stress disorder, generational trauma, religious cult mentality and cultural dysphoria.
Relationships: Dorian/Dorian's Wife (Legend of Zelda), Granté/Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Mipha/Revali (Legend of Zelda)
Series: Breath of the Wild REBORN [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2125755
Comments: 18
Kudos: 30





	1. Castle Town (Prologue)

_She remembers the day vividly, despite barely being a child of six years old. Just a normal day like any other. She got up, helped her mother with what she could and played around the house. Her father and brother were long gone, to the castle. They were soldiers after all. She hadn't thought much of it then. Only six years old and she was already used to them not being there. She had barely few memories of them to begin with. Her father, gently tucking her covers over her, despte already being half asleep. A small sad smile from her brother, almost ten years her senior. Sometimes they played together, when he could. The colour blue, bright and almost overwhelming. Like the sky, and the roofs of their houses here in Hyrule Castle Town. The only place she had ever known. And the castle, towering over the small quaint houses in all of its glory: the Jewel of Hyrule, as her father had called it._

_A normal day like any other._

_Until a deafening roar pierced the quiet yet bustling Castle Town of Hyrule, causing the ground to shake violently beneath their feet. Then came the quiet, only for a moment, as if the denizens of Castle Town was trying to process what that was, before the screaming started. Her mother tore into the living area, pulling her up and holding her hand tightly as their front door was thrown open._

_"The castle! Look at the castle!"_

_Red lightning poured from the sky, a mass of red clouds surrounding the highest tower, the Royal family's throne room. She had no idea what she was looking at, barely seeing the chaos for a few moments. Her mother's hand tightened around hers as chaos erupted in the town, people running for the front gates, her mother pulling her._

_"Where are the Hyrulean soliders?!" A woman screamed. She had tried to turn her head towards the castle, but her mother's grip was too strong. People were clawing at the gates, screaming and madness as the red clouds billowed over the castle. Then the explosions started, slowly at first. Then getting louder. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw it, laser beams from the castle, shooting into the sky._

_"Hylia."_

_"Where are the Hyrulean soldiers?!?"_

_"No. No. Oh Goddess no."_

_The Hylians started pressing together, in desperate screaming fearful agony. She remembered her mother, holding her hands together and holding her close. She wasn't sure how long they was there for. Then all of a sudden, a miracle, Hylian soldiers from the castle, pouring out of the castle gates, rushing towards them._

_"Please, try not to panic!" They called out towards the Hylians, "We will get you out of the town, but you have to let us pass to open the gates!"_

_A number of things happened at once. Lightning, not red like the one coming from the clouds, but almost a bluish green, its colour clashing with the red lightning as if fighting back against it itself. The sound of bomb arrows pouring into the castle walls, at an enemy none of them had seen yet as the wind tore itself around them. A red fiery orb throwing itself all over the castle, from tower to tower, the could hear as it slammed down into ground. And the occasional waterfall sprouting up from the ground, calm and serene against the chaos that was unfolding in the castle. There were soldiers there too, still in the castle, fighting back against the enemy._

_That was when she saw them. Mechanical beings, taller then any Hylian she had known, with long legs, crawling around the castle. Their colour glowed the same as the terrible red clouds surrounding the castle. But somehow, despite the chaos, the madness, the Hylians around her cheered._

_"The Champions! We are saved!"_

_The Champions. She remembered now. Mipha, the Zora princess. Daruk, the boss of the Gorons. Revali, the proud Rito warrior. And Ursoba, the chieftain of the Gerudo tribe. And they were the there, the four Champions of Hyrule. Fighting against those mechanical beings._

_The soliders there at the gates with the Hylians, managed to squeeze through in order to open the gates, they called out to the Hylians to evacuate the town, and her mother's grip tightened on her hand again, as they followed the fleeing Hylians. Then she noticed as her mother, ran in a different direction._

_"Where are we going?" she called, "What about father and-"_

_Her sentence was cut off, as she was pulled into her mother's arms. There she spotted the stables, just outside of Castle Town. The horses, panicked in their individual stalls, the stable itself seemingly abandoned. Except for one horse that wasn't panicked, she noted, a brown horse with a brown mane and white ankle hair. Her mother opened the stable stalls and the panicked horses ran in all directions. Except for the brown horse, which trotted towards them obediently._

_Who's horse was this? She has never seen it before. Then again, this was her first time ever outside of the castle walls. She had never seen horses outside of the parades occasionally held in Castle Town that the Royal Guard owned._

_She was pulled up suddenly, placed on the front of the horse, as her mother mounted it, sitting behind her. Then she was turned around so her mother could lean forward on the horse to make it sprint as she was pressed into her mother's chest. Her arms wrapping tightly around her mother's shoulders, a full view of the town and the castle behind her, as her mother pulled on the horse's reins, as it began sprinting along the plains of Hyrule, the castle getting further away as the laser beams intensified, shooting up into the red sky surrounding the castle at a much frequent pace._

_Villages she had never learned the names of passed her by in an instant as their horse galloped over the land of Hyrule, past Whistling Hill and the nearby river and over Proxim Bridge. She saw other Hylians too, abandoing their villages here in Central Hyrule and fleeing in all directions, away from the castle, towards Hebra, Faron and Akkala._

_Meanwhile, as she and her mother galloped towards the Dueling Peaks, the wind biting her face with how fast they were travelling, the sky itself seemed to turn red. And as she looked back to her former home in Central Hyrule, the castle itself still tall as ever, even this far away. That was then she saw them, four pillars, glowing as red as that that envoloped those mechanical nighmares, climbing out of the ground. Seemingly stuttering for a second, as if trying to be held back by some force much bigger then she could have known, before towering as high as that highest tower._

_As their horse passed through the center of the Dueling Peaks, clinging tightly to her mother as tears ran down her cheeks both from the wind, and the realistion that was too much for a child of just six years old, the sight of the castle disappeared. And yet the red sky burned bright, as they passed through Fort Hateno and towards the countryside, the sight of those pillars still plaguing her mind, a nightmare that she would continue to have for years to come. The realistion that anyone left in the castle at that point would have not survived. The Champions, the soliders, the Royal family even. She had not seen them among the Hylians. Would they have not been the first to be evacuated? Perhaps it was too late even for them, they would have been right there at the castle after all._

_And as she and her mother grew older, survivors of what would become to be known as the Great Calamity, she would wonder, if it was even possible, if her brother and father had escaped. Perhpas they had reached Akkala with the other soldiers? However unlikely that possibility was, she still hoped, despite it all, that she would see them again. One day._


	2. Lurelin Village

The small fishing village nestled on the coast of Faron, Lurelin, had barely changed in a century. While other surviving villages had needed to expand with the survivors from central Hyrule, Faron's lush jungles and humid temperatures as well as, being so far out of the way compared to any of the other villages and settlements around Hyrule, meant that not many Hylians had made the trek to this quaint little village, deciding to settle in the much closer Hateno. Still, Kass thought as he left his perch near Calora Lake, where neverending lightning rained down on this particular spot and began to fly over Atun Valley, his concertina nestled securely to his back, even a village out of the way like this, hadn't been untouched by the Great Calamity in the years since that terrible event had occured.

For someone like Kass who traveled a lot, over various regions of Hyrule, when most would simply stay put in their own regions, the warning signs were there. Guardian stalkers, immobile for years after that terrible event so long ago, had started to awaken, glowing as darkly red as they had almost a century ago, crawling slowly but surely around Hyrule, nowhere near the settlements, thank Hylia for that, but still way too close for comfort. And not without casualty.

"Kass! It's Kass!" As he descended into the village, his feet touching the warm sands of Lurelin, the children of the village ran to him from their place near the cooking pot by their little hut home as they danced around him, "Play us a song on your instrument!"

"Kinov! Zuta!" Their exasperated father tried to call out to them, his hands full of washing clothes. The one time his wife had asked him to watch them while she went to pick up some fish from Mubs at the store. Kass smiled apologetically towards the tired looking father, "It's alright, Sebasto."

The village elder walked slowly towards the three as the two children continued to surround the Rito minstel, "Zuta, Kinov. Kass will have flown a long way to get here, I'm sure he will gladly play a song for you before he leaves, but let him rest for a moment." He cocked his head towards their father, "Why don't you help your father? The sooner all you complete your chores after all, the sooner you can play."

"Oookaayyy!" The two children ran back to their little hut, climbing over the fencing to do so. Kass chuckled, thinking back to his daughters in Rito village, "It's nice to see that regardless of race, the children of Hyrule are so energetic." He shifted his instrument a little on his back and looked back at the elder, "Rozel, it's been a while."

"It sure has Kass, when was the last time you were here now, three years ago? You should really send a letter before you arrive, we would have something set up for you." Kass chuckled, "With how quickly I move around Hyrule, I would be here before the letter arrived." Rozel nodded at that, "Yes, that is true. Come let us rest in the inn, I'll get Chessica to preapre a meal for you."

"Thank you Rozel, I'll join you in a moment, but first I must go meet them."

* * *

Just past the path from Cloyne's treasure chest game lay a single hut near the small pond of Lurelin, one of the only new ones built recently. In front an old woman was hanging up clothes on the washing line. As the footsteps grew louder, she turned to face the newcomer, her face lighting up in an instant. "Oh, Kass, it's been years."

Kass smiled at the old woman, "Hello to you too."

"Link! Kass is here!"

That was when Kass saw her, the small girl sitting next to the pond (he was surprised he hadn't seen her first, she was as good as blending into environments now as she had always been). Link turned towards him, her green eyes dull, but a small smile made its way onto her face and she waved at him, Kass smiled sadly and waved back. Even now almost six years later, Link still looked now as the lost child she had been back then, after she had lost her parents to a guardian attack. It had taken Kass almost six months to move her grandmother from Hateno, with her belongings, on horseback with a cart, all the way to Lurelin. Thankfully the inhabitants of Lurelin had taken care of Link during that time.

Both Link and her grandmother had been so strong.

Kass wandered over to the small pond where Link was sitting. The 12 year old Lurelin born child was holding one of those blue hearty lizards that could be found here in Faron, petting it gently on the head with one finger. After a moment, she stopped, raising a hand in question, pointing at Kass' head.

Ah. Kass removed the hat he had been wearing. It was made of wood and cloth, and curved slightly. "This is a Sheikah hat from Kakariko Village. It used to belong to my old teacher, he gifted it to me very recently." Link nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer, returning to petting the lizard and Kass stood back up, walking back over to the hut, entering it with her grandmother.

"So no change then." Link's grandmother shook her head, glancing back at her granddaughter outside the small window of their hut. "We're managing well enough, but.. I just wish I knew how to help her." There was a pause, and then Kass spoke, "I'm sorry, but can I ask about what you wrote about in your letter?" Link's grandmother's glanced back towards him.

* * *

_It had been a few months ago. It was almost dusk, the sky turning a light orange against the blue of Faron's sea and Link had been picking up a few things from Mubs' store. She handed the list and rupees to the merchant and began stocking the wooden basket with fish, along with Hylian rice and goat butter that had been bargained with from the travelling merchant that day. Mubs smiled, "It was a good hunt today Link. You're getting better all the time with that fishing spear of yours. Armes has been training you well." Link nodded. "I heard you went out on a raft today? That must've been fun." Link paused, scratching at her chin a little, then gave a thumbs up._

_As she finished packing up the stall for the night, Mubs waved goodbye to Link, heading into the inn with Chessica. Both girls watched as Link carried her basket back up to their hut. "How is she?" Chessica asked. "The same as always." Mubs moved over to the beds, helping Chessica fold the sheets. "It's such a shame." Chessica sat down on one of the beds, watching Link walk to up the path to the pond. "She was such a happy go lucky kid. The first child we've had in Lurelin for years, at least until Kinov and Zuta came around."_

_Mubs poked her head out of the window, a faint unusual chill touching her face that hadn't been there before. "Weather's turning." And then she frowned, "You don't suppose its a blood moon tonight do you?" Chessica suddered. "I hope not. It hasn't been that long since the last one." The two girls watched as the last of the sun's light passed over their small village. It was quiet for a few moments, until Chessica's breath caught in her chest. There were no stars._

_Mubs dropped the rest of the sheets, climbing over the front desk. "I'm going to get the dog. Shutter the inn's gate."_

_"Mubs!"_

_"If I have to stay with Armes and Garini, so be it, it'll be cramped, but.." Mubs smiled back at Chessica. "Don't worry. We're caught a little out of time, but we'll manage. We're Lurelins after all."_

* * *

_Link dropped the basket in their little hut and her grandmother smiled. "Looks like we'll be making your favourite seafood paella tomorrow, Link." A genuine smile broke on Link's face at that. She loved food, she was a lot like her father that way. Then out of the corner of her eye, Link saw Mubs running out of the inn and towards the gate at the east of town._

_She popped her head out of the front of the hut, looking into the darkening sky. The sudden chill of the wind hit Link at once. Without glancing back at her grandmother, she grabbed the shutter at the front of their hut pulling it down and climbing out all in one swoop. Link could hear her grandmother calling her name, but didn't turn to look back. She didn't even need to look at the sky to confirm what was happening._

_The blood moon: when the monsters of Hyrule were reborn. Sometimes it wasn't nearly as bad, that is, if one could prepare for it. Usually, merchants and travellers would frequently pass between the village and nearby stables. But there hadn't been that many recently. The Lurelins had been excited today when a merchant had arrived to trade with them. Link briefly wondered if that merchant had arrived back safely at Lakeside stable. She dearly hoped so._

_Link grabbed a nearby fisherman's shield, without thinking. But if you were caught off guard like tonight.. especially here in Lurelin, right next to Gogobi Shores. The lizalfos that lived there usually kept to themselves, but monsters under the bright blood moon were far more aggressive then even by normal standards. And the monsters recently.._

_Her mouth opened. And she choked on her own voice, barely used in six years. Link swallowed desperately in the chilled air, as she caught up with Mubs who was trying to calm down the panicked the Hylian retriever and coax it back to the village. Mubs glaned back at her, a panicked look on her face, "Link, what are you doing here?!"_

_Over the top of Cape Cales, they could see it now. The glowing red aura that surrounded the moon. Mubs and Link looked at each other, and without another word, Mubs stared to pull the retriever along as Link pushed from the back. Surely they began to lead the dog back into the village. Armes, who had yet to shutter his hut, waving at them to come into his. It was all going well, things be considered._

_Until Link saw it. The sickly green coat of the lizalfos, as it lunged towards her, Mubs and the retriever. She leapt into action, without thinking. raising the shield she had grabbed as the lizalfos swung its spear at her. The bang could be heard throughout the whole village and Mubs screamed. Link didn't hear it though, pushing through. It was like time itself had slowed down as the shield smashed against the spear, The lizalfos staggered back, before swinging again. And again, Link pushed the shield against the spear. This time, the lizalfos was thrown back, dropping its spear to the ground. It hissed, spitting its tongue out and Link cried out, her hand moving up automatically._

_Blood, as red as the moon above them, dripped down her shoulder where she had been struck. But despite that, her injured arm continued to hold the shield as she raised it yet again. The lizalfos reached for its spear, but all of a sudden a fishing spear came out of nowhere into the lizalfos' arm, spearing it into the sand. It screeched violently and thrashed against the ground. Link and Mubs turned their heads, and saw Sebasto, panting heavily. "Come on, move it Mubs!" he yelled, pointing back at Armes' hut as he lifted the injured Link up into his arms. Mubs and Armes maneged to get the howling dog into the hut and shuttered it, as Sebasto ran back for his and Kiana's hut, Link in his arms._

_Link reached out for Sebasto's arm as small red particles started to swarm the village, but he shook his head as he reached the hut and Kiana shuttered it, the two boys huddled in the corner. "It's okay Link, I know you did your best. Thank you." Sebasto placed Link on one of the beds in the hut as Kiana stared to bandage the wound on her shoulder, and Link, frustrated, turned her head and began to silently cry._

* * *

Kass looked over at Link, still sitting by the pool. "She did that, huh?" Link's grandmother stood up, crossing the small hut looking at the wall. Paintings of Hateno, her former home, littered the wall. "I've heard stories, Kass, of people in our world. People who have lost hope, people who throw themselves into danger when they can't possibly win."

She glanced back at Kass, tears in her blue eyes, "At my age, I thought it was impossible to lose another person. How foolish I was, with this world that we live in. I lost my family, my husband, even my son and the daughter-in-law who I had never even met in a village I had never visisted. Now I have my granddaughter, but she isn't a fighter. I don't know what to do for her. I don't.. I don't want to lose her too."

* * *

The next day, Kass stretched out as he awoke in the inn. After a small meal from the innkeeper consisting of a few seafood rice balls. He got up and left the inn. The two boys from yesterday surrounded him again and he played them a small tune to their delight, one from his mentor's book, albeit without lyrics. The two boys went off to play and Kass started to head the east gate. Armes was grilling fish over an open fire and, what do you know, there was Link right next to him. "Don't tell your grandmother." Armes winked, as he handed a grilled fish to her.

"Link." Kass called out, and both Armes and Link jumped and turned to face him. "May I talk to you for a little while?" Link nodded and Armes let out a little sigh of relief and she came to join him. It was a lovely day in Lurelin village, warm and bright. A bit too warm for Kass to be honest, he was much more used to the cold temperatures of Rito Village, despite travelling a lot over these last few years. It was still his home he prefered the most. A terrible pang of homesickness came over him then, but Kass pushed it down. No time to dwell on such things, not when there was work to be done. His mentor's unfinished song always plagued on his mind, as did his dear departed friend's daughter.

Kass still remembered vividly, the first time he had met Link's father. The young adventurer, who had left Hateno Village to chase excitement. He had never left Hateno Village until then, and was itching to explore. Kass had met him not that far from his home village of Rito, climbing Rayne Highlands, wearing nothing but a warm doublet and Hylian trousers, chugging spicy elixers like his life depended on it. Kass had asked what the young man had been doing, and he excitedly responded that he was looking for something called a Great Fairy fountain that was supposed to be around here somewhere, that the nearby stable had told him about. Kass had scolded him horribly that day, there was nothing up that area apart from the Ancient Columns, a place littered with moblins. This kid was gonna get himself killed.

But Kass couldn't help but smile at the memory now. Link's father had always managed to keep himself going as he chased adventure across Hyrule. And then, finally he had settled down here in Lurelin. It had been a relief, both for his mother and for Kass. He had come here to look at Eventide Island originally before he had met his future wife. _("That was the place that inspired his dreams all those years ago, you know." his mother had told Kass as the pair traveled towards Lurelin. "He would always be looking out over Hateno beach until as late as possible, wondering what was on that island. He never cared about riches you know, just the adventure, and the journey to reach each place.")_ Kass believed he understood that more and more these days as he chased his mentor's unfinished song. As much as he missed Rito Village and his family, the friends he had made along the way, over each and every part of Hyrule, made the journey all the more interesting.

And now, as he looked down at Link, he wondered what was going through her mind. Did she want to travel, much like her father did? Did she want to explore, or fight? It was like her grandmother had said, they were plenty of merchants and travellers in this land of Hyrule, and those on quests who fought monsters along their paths. Today, Link was wearing traditional Lurelin attrire, except for the shirt.. it was a blue shirt that her father had discovered while travelling, with a strange lobster pattern on the front. _("It's too small for me, but I kept it regardless." he had laughed, "I like to think it was destiny, that I ended up here in Lurelin Village!")_

"Link.." he spoke gently, as she turned her green eyes to him. He had known her since she was a small child, regularly carrying correspendence between Hateno and Lurelin for her father. He wondered for a moment if he was asking too much for her to process, at just a child of 12 years old. "What is it that you want to do when you grow up?" Link licked her lips and shuffled a bit on her bare toes, looking away from Kass' eyes. "I hear your helping Armes with fishing at the moment, do you want to be a fisherman for the village when you're older? Or do you want to do something else?" He watched her fidget with her fingers, her eyes drifting a little to the east. Where Eventide Island was.

Ah. "Eventide Island huh?" Kass continued to speak, glancing over at the uncharted island in the distance. "Many Lurelins have mentioned that place before. They get nervous whenever they approach it. They hear voices. Some believe it to be cursed." Link nodded at that. "Do you believe it is cursed Link?" She paused for a moment, then shook her head. "You want to go there to fulfill your father's dream." It wasn't a question. Link's eyes downcast to the ground, her hands tightening into fists and nodding fiercely. "And what about after?" Link's eyes darted back up to him, looking surprised. So she hadn't thought that far ahead. Ah well, suppose it was natural after all.

"Excuse me, are you Kass?" both Kass and Link turned around as a person approached from the other side of Gogobi Shores, as a Lurelin villager approached them, breathing heavily as if he had run just to get here. "Thank Hylia, I just missed you the last time you were in the village. I wanted to talk to you, about a monument that's nearby. Our elder, Rozel, told me you were researching monuments? There's one right here near Lurelin I would like you to see!"

A monument, here in Lurelin? Kass thought back to his mentor's songs and the various pedestals they pointed towards. He supposed it was true they could be considered monuments of some sort. But Lurelin Village was not a place mentioned by his mentor, or in the book he had been left. Still, he supposed, with how excited the young man was, he could always have look. Perhpahs it would help unravel the mysteries he had inherited and the day was still young after all.

"Very well, lead the way." he turned to Link as the young man began to head in the opposite direction of the village, "Would you like to come with me Link? These monuments left by our ancestors have some sort of puzzle entwined with them. I've never been able to figure any of them out, but perhaps we could solve it together?" Link's eyes lit up and Kass couldn't help but smile. Link's father had loved puzzles too, it was a shame that he had passed before Kass had inherited his mentor's life work, they could have worked on them together.

As the two followed the Lurelin man (Garini, Kass learned his name was) he explained about the monument they had discovered here a few years back. A circle stone monument with text that glowed in the night. Garini explained how thankfully the monument was still intact and how over the last couple of years, he managed to decipher it himself, but still couldn't figure out what it meant. As they approached Palmorae Ruins, Link spotted a hearty lizard on one of the palm trees and sneaked up, grabbing it quickly. The blue lizard tried in vain to escape for a few moment before relaxing, letting the young girl pet it as they came up the monument.

"Here we are!" Garini called out, pointing around. And Kass was very surprised, not just the monument itself that Garini had told them about, but two pedestals on top of that? It was bad enough trying to figure out the passages for one pedestal, but this one had two! It was definitely an ancient Sheikah trial meant for the hero. A hero which no longer existed. Kass was pained at that, but pushed down the feelings yet again. His mentor, despite being there a century ago, had searched for years for these pedestals, for these trials meant for the hero. Those ancient Sheikah would not have created these trials just for them to go to waste. And so, he had inheritated his mentor's life work, to continue it, to try and solve these puzzles and to believe in hope. He had to believe, after all, if he was to continue in this land of Hyrule, of monsters and friends, of mechanical nightmares and the smiles he recieved in each town and stable he visisted along his journey.

"Ahem, if i may." Garini spoke out loud, the passage he had deciphered, "'When the two find their place and kneel in reverance, the shrine will reveal itself.'" He looked proud at himself, as he placed his hands on his sides, but then he faltered, "Ahaha! I sounded so full of myself, but the reality is I have no idea what it means!"

"Kneel in reverance?" Kass continued, approaching the two pedestals. They were exactly like the others he had found in his mentor's notes, two small pedestals sticking out of the ground. Unlike the monument itself, which Garini had mentioned glowed blue in the night, the pedestals did not glow any colour at all. Especially not the sickly red of the guardian stalkers that crawled around Central Hyrule near Hyrule Castle. Kass reached out and touched the pedestal, hoping for some sort of change. Yet, it did not occur. He did not truly expect it to. He was not the hero after all, neither had his mentor been.

Meanwhile, Link, still holding her lizard friend, was pondering the words that Garini had spoken. 'When the two find their place and kneel in reverance?' Her eyes closed as a memory came to light.

* * *

_It had been not long after her grandmother had arrived in Lurelin, the grandmother she had known about but had never met before. They had spent most of the day in their hut, the hut she had once shared with her mother and father. Her grandmother had made some delicious food, her favourite seafood paella of course, and a wonderful egg tart. She had tried to eat most of her plate, but struggled, her nerves getting to her. Her grandmother apologised for it, but she shook her head vigorously as her voice caught in her throat. She had barely spoken the past six months, and it was getting worse._

_After tucking her into bed, Rozel arrived to speak with her and the two left the hut to speak outside. Link couldn't sleep though. She waited until Rozel left, and then got up carefully to look outside. But her grandmother was gone too. Still in her night wear, she followed the path down to the inn, where she spotted her grandmother. In front of the states of the Goddess. She was praying to it. The lump in Link's throat grew tighter as she watched her grandmother pray to the Goddess. Not many Lurelins did that these days. Not many people in Hyrule in general actually, now that she thought about it, from what she had heard from merchants and travellers. The Goddess statue was chipped from not being taken care of over the years._

_Her grandmother smiled sadly as she looked back up to the statue, "I'll have to come and look after you often just like I did back in Hateno, Goddess Hylia." Link, being careful not to be seen, headed back to their hut. But she still was unable to sleep for a few hours after that, her way too young mind racing, until finally she had dropped off._

* * *

Link was brought back to reality. Was that what the passage meant? Did you have to pray at the pedestal? And not just one, but two, as there was two pedestals? She let the lizard she was holding down onto the sand and it scattered off, then stepped forward, tugging on Kass's belt gently as he glanced at her, "What is it Link?"

Her brow furrowed a little and then she stepped onto one of the pedestals, before bowing down on one knee, right in the center of the pedestal. Both Garini and Kass stared at her for a second, before Garini spoke, "Huh? Is that it?" he practically jumped into action, running onto the other pedestal and following suit. There they stood, bent on one knee. Moments, turned into minutes, and still, seemingly nothing happened. The pedestals didn't glow. Kass let out a a little "Hm." stepping forward, but Link pushed her arm outwards, glancing back at him. There was something in her eyes, something desperate that he hadn't seen before. Kass stepped back again, and again they waited.

Then.. evantually.. the ground began to shake. Although the pedestals hadn't changed colour (Kass wasn't sure why, but he felt that that was something that was supposed to happen first) the ground beneath the pedestals shook as something.. rose slowly up from behind the monument. Garini yelped and fell back as Link stood back up. Kass' eyes were now locked on her. He was amazed and a little awestruck, he wondered briefly if she would be able to figure the rest of the passages, but in the back of his mind, something was clicking into place. Something he didn't really want to think about, something he hadn't thought about. Not since his mentor's passing. Not since her father's passing.

Link however stepped forward towards the little building that had appeared out of the ground. There was something.. odd about it. Of course, there was the building that was just above the village after all. She had spotted it again when out fishing with Armes one day and had pointed towards it. She knew of it of course, but no-one had ever really told her about _("Oh that," Armes replied, "Thats that weird hut that's always been there in Lurelin. Some of our ancestors tried opening it years ago to no avail. So we've just kinda left it there." Link had just nodded, not really understanding.)_ She reached out one hand to strange pedestal on the right of the building.

Kass suddenly had a horrible feeling pit into his stomach and he reached out for her, "Link, wait!" but it was too late. Her hand placed down on the pedestal. For some reason, she thought something else was supposed to go here, not just her hand. And then all of a sudden, everything happened at once as time seemed to slow down.

Kass watched in horror as Link's green eyes suddenly started to glow a deep blue. He reached out for her again, but his wing seemed to go straight through her. Not just her eyes now, but her whole body disappearing in blue specks.

"Link!" Kass screamed out as he turned she turned to face him, eyes still glowing, seemingly unaware of what was happening, "LINK!" but to no avail, as her body completely vanished into blue light which rose into the sky. Kass fell to his own knees, as the blue light completely disappeared into the sky. Behind them Garini simply sat on the sand, stunned into silence.


	3. Korok Forest

Link felt so comfortable. As her eyes flickered open (still remembering, no, feeling the colour blue, as it had envoloped her body) she rose to sit up, her eyes adjusting to the light. Wherever she was, it darker then her home of Lurelin, and yet it felt so serene at the same time. Link glanced around, first at the bed she had been lying it. It seemed to be made of leaves? It must have been made so meticously, from thousands of individual leaves, and she ran her hand over it. It really was the most comfortable bed she had ever lay on. Then she looked around the area. The bed was in a little enclave, and there was a cooking pot not too far from her, with two other enclaves opposite. Link pushed herself up to stand, looking around the area. It seemed to be lit up by strange lighted plants? And there were vines and flowers all around the area. She moved to the nearby wall and gave it a gentle knock, the hollow sound resonating through the empty area. So that was it, she seemed to be inside some sort of hollowed out tree? A little timidly, she approached the warmth of the cooking pot, not like she really needed it. It had been plently warm just lying on that bed.

Briefly, she wondered where she was as she sat down near the cooking pot. Probably somewhere in Faron, possibly the Ebara Forest or the Sarjon Woods? Hopefully she wasn't too far from a stable, she remembered visisting the Lakeside stable once, when she was little, when a fishing trip with her parents at Aris Beach had taken a little longer then usual and they had to stay in the nearby stable, instead of travelling back along the road when it was too dangerous to travel.

There was a sudden sound, a thump near her and she startled, looking over. She hadn't seen anyone in this hollowed out tree when she had awoken, and there was no-one here now. But next to her, lay some mushrooms all of a sudden. Link jumped up, looking around the hollowed out tree again, but there was still no-one here. Suddenly, she wondered if she had gone even further then she had thought. There was the abandoned Zonai Ruins of course, still here in Faron and surrounded by a thick jungle. There were many stories of that place, treasure hunters who never came back. The people of Lurelin had once believed the Zonai to be their ancestors, and had decorated their huts with the ancient tribal markings many many generations before her. Now, it was just tradition to paint the newly built huts with those old carvings.

Link looked back down at the mushrooms beside her. Mushrooms were rare in Lurelin, but she had had some before on occasion. They weren't her favourite food by any margin, but looking at them, her stomach started to grumble a little, it had been a while since breakfast after all. She leant over to pick up the handful of mushrooms, the green ones and purple once she recognised (stamella and rushrooms). The small brown one eluded her though, she had never seen a mushroom like that before. Too bad she didn't have any Hylian rice, she thought to herself, she could have probably made some mean mushroom rice balls.

"Would you like some Hylian rice to go with those?"

The mushrooms tumbled out of her arms as she let out a throaty croak, jumping back from the pot and spinning around on the spot. Sitting next to the pot beside her, all of a sudden was an old man wearing a heavy brown cloak. The man looked at her and there was a sad look in her eyes. It reminded me of her Kass, and she couldn't help but relax a little.

"I am sorry if I startled you child, to be honest I appear to be as lost as you seemingly are." He raised his hand, a handful of Hylian rice in his palm. Rock salt too, she noted. Those would give the rice balls just a pinch of extra flavour. The ingredients looked so small in his massive palm, and Link took another good look at him. He was sitting while she was standing, and he was still taller then her. He must be so tall, she wondered. Probably taller the hollowed out area of this tree, he likely had to have crouched just to get in here. Had she been so lost in her own thoughts that she had never noticed him there before?

She took the Hylian rice and rock salt from the old man and sat back down, grabbing all of the dropped mushrooms (discarding a few that had fallen into the flames and had gotten a little gooey), before dropping all of the ingredients into the pot. Link wasn't the best cook to be honest, but with the old man's advice and the soup ladle nearby, she managed to make a good half dozen looking mushroom rice balls. The old man placed a large leaf down onto the ground and Link placed the rice balls onto it, splitting them between the two of them.

As the two of them began to eat, the man asked, "What's your name child?" Still chewing on her first rice ball, Link grabbed the soup ladle again, turning it over to use the tip of it, and began to write in the leftover cooling sludge in the pot, four Hylian letters, clear as day. The old man was silent for a moment, "..Link, huh?" She nodded. "And, if I may ask, you wear the traditional garb of a Lurelin villager, so I assume you are from that village?" Link nodded again.

The man stopped chewing at his own rice ball, looking deeply into the pot for a moment, "You are very far from home, young one." Link looked over at him, startled. She couldn't have gone that far west. There was Faron Woods near Lake Hylia after all, but that was close to a road, she would have heard travelers by now if she was there. Papetto Grove maybe? No, it wasn't a forest as thick as this one, as she peered outside of the hollowed out area, seemingly covered by fog now that she noticed. She took the ladle again and began to write again, under her name, this time five letters. 'Faron'. The man looked at her, a sudden unreadable expression on his face, "We are far past the Faron region, child. You are here in Great Hyrule Forest, far north of Hyrule Castle."

The soup ladle dropped from Link's hand, as did the the half eaten rice ball. North of Hyrule Castle? Her father's hand drawn map from his exploring days came to mind. That couldn't be right. That would mean she was just west of the Eldin region. That was half way across the entirety of Hyrule! But.. it would take months to get here from Lurelin, and it had barely been half a day, right? It couldn't have been that much longer, surely she would have been more hungry if she had been asleep for months? Her hand pressed to her chest as she began to breathe heavily. Her grandmother. Lurelin. Kass. What had happened back there? And if she was so close to Hyrule Castle.. then was she in danger? She had heard stories, of course, of how the closer you got Hyrule Castle, the more monsters and dangerous life got on the road for travelers and merchants. Was she in danger here?

The old man pressed a hand to her shoulder, "Breathe, child. We are safe here." he gave her a small warm smile, "No monsters can get past in the Lost Woods." She looked at him, a distressed look in her eyes. Why, why was she here, so far away from home? The pedestals, the puzzle she had solved. For some reason it had brought here here, why? The man sat back, the rice balls forgotten for now. "To be honest child, I'm not sure why I'm here. Have you ever heard of the Great Plateau?"

Link shook her head, but relaxed, somehow all the same. This man seemed quite old, not as old as her grandmother, or even as old as the elder Rozel, and it seemed he had a story to tell her. That was something she was quite used to, she would sit with Kinov and Zuta on occasion as they listened to Rozel's stories after all.

"The Great Plateau is a monument of Hylian architecture. It is rumoured to be the birth place of the entire kingdom of Hyrule, you know. Have you ever visisted Lake Hylia Link?" She shook her head at that, "You can see it very clearly from that great bridge, a large raised area of land, surrounded by great structures that surround the entire plateau, protecting it from outside forces. They say that back in the day, our ancestors performed many sacred ceremonies on that plateau." The man lowered his head a little, "These days, however, since the Great Calamity, I'm afraid the plateau has been falling apart. It's a shame recently, I feel like I've failed it somehow, even though it happened long before I was born." He looked back up at Link's eyes, smiling sadly, "I'm the caretaker for that place you see, as was my father, and his father before him."

The lump in Link's throat seem to grow tighter as the man spoke. There so much about Hylian history that she didn't know. A whole world lost because of the Great Calamity, as the survivors clung to life however they could. She wondered then, if the Great Calamity hadn't occured, would she have born somewhere else other then Lurelin? She couldn't imagine it now, as Lurelin was the only place she ever knew. But despite that, she had heard stories of her grandmother's home Hateno. And the areas in Central Hyrule that had been destroyed over the years, Castle Town and Mabe Village being the most prominent of those places she had heard of.

"It was just a normal day like any other, when I woke up this morning in my little hut on the plateau." the old man continued, "I did my usual tasks, collected firewood, hunted, fought some monsters that had gotten too close my camp. Then I saw it, one of the old shrines that had existed for millenia on that small plateau." He glanced over at the Link who was now staring at him intently, "It glowed blue, just briefly, for a moment. But I spotted it. And when I approached the shrine, all of a sudden I was brought here, to the Great Hyrule Forest. And that was when I found you, passed out on the pedestal in front of this tree."

A pedestal? Like the one she had bent down in front of before that old building (a shrine the old man had called it) had appeared? "I wasn't sure what to do at first, but the Deku Tree told me to bring you in here to rest, so I followed his advice." The.. the what tree? Link looked at him, confused and he moved to get up, bent down a little so his head wouldn't hit the ceiling, "I supposed I should introduce you now. Maybe he can give us more information about why we are here, come on." and he reached out to her.

As they walked outside of the hollowed out tree, the fog seemed to close in a little more around them. But Link felt safe, the old man had been right after all. There seemed to be no monsters around here. No violent spitting from the lizalfos that lived on the beach, and no screeching from the bokoblins that littered the roads between the village, the nearby stable and their usual fishing spot. There was a quiet serene feeling to this place.

That's when Link saw it, the pedestal the old man had mentioned. It.. was not like the pedestal she had seen before at all, and a sudden chill went through her. There was a sword placed in that pedestal. But she didn't have time to look at it anymore, as the old man stood behind her, blocking the view of the pedestal and gently turning her around to look at the tree they had just left. Link gaped, the tree was massive, bigger then any tree she had ever seen before in her young life. The first thought that came to her mind was Cape Celes, the mountain range in the distance of Lurelin, that shadowed their little village when the time of the day was just right. This tree couldn't be that tall, could it? And to think, she had thought the old man was big when she had seen him.

"Ah.." Did.. did that tree just talk? "So you're finally awake." Link's hands went to her sides, her body rigid. She felt so small compared to the old man and the towering tree. Her mouth opened and closed uselessly, even if she could talk right now, she wasn't sure what she would say. "Well, I supposed I knew this coming, sooner or later. But still, I hoped that one day he would return instead. But I suppose it can't be helped." What.. what exactly was he talking about?

"Great Deku Tree." the old man spoke, a deep respect in his voice, "Why have we been summoned here?"

"Hm.." The Tree looked completive and then spoke, directly, to Link, "The sword." Link turned to face the pedestal again, the old man moving out of the way. "Child, if you are the Chosen Hero of Legend, then that sword will answer to you and you alone." Hero of Legend? She looked back at the Deku Tree, "After all, we are in need of a Hero, now more then ever. The Calamity's power rises with each every red moon that passes, its power growing stronger by the day." What? What were they asking of her? She stepped away from the pedestal, suddenly frightened. She had been pulled away from her home, had this tree, this Great Deku Tree, brought her here?

"If I may, Great Deku Tree, can you wait a moment?" The old man bent down on one knee, looking at Link and reached his hand to her. Timidly, despite herself, she took his hand. Somehow she knew she could trust him. Together he walked with Link, around the roots of the Deku Tree, speaking quietly, "I apologise for the Great Deku Tree, it seems he knows as little as we do. But as the protector of the Sword that Seals the Darkness, naturally he would push you towards that. Forgive me." Link shook her head, not really understanding, but following the old man regardless, "Still, there was one more thing I noted, after I found you here."

And then Link spotted it, another shrine, this one glowing blue just like the old man had said. Suddenly, unlike with the sword, she felt herself being drawn to the shrine, just like she had at the one by Lurelin, "The forest folk have told me that this shrine has been glowing ever since you arrived." Link let go of the old man's hand, not really listening as she approached the shrine. Again she placed her hand on the pedestal, and this time the 'door' at the front opened, revealing a blue circle on the floor.

"Astonishing." the old man murmured, as Link turned to face him. And he gasped lowly as her eyes glowed as blue as the shrine. He caught himself, "Perhaps there is something waiting for you down there first. I will wait for you to return here." Link nodded, somehow knowing what to do as she stepped on the circle in the little entrance area of the shrine and it activated, lowering her into the ground until the old man disappeared out of sight and darkness enveloped her.

* * *

When light arrived back in the little shrine, orange and blue light pierced her eyes, and she opened them, feeling that blue glow envelop her whole body. There was stairs in front of her, a wall full of "stars", pits to the left and right of her. And ancient text she didn't know, but as she stared, it seemed to become cleaer. "Keo Ruug." It seemed to be some sort of puzzle, but as she tried to push out from the elevator into the small and yet large room the blue glow that surrounded her became brighter still and she was lowered yet again, the puzzle disappearing from view as she went deeper into the shrine, the orange and blue lights disappearing yet again into darkness.

Lower and lower still, they went until finally the elevator stopped and Link was able to walk forward, a path only leading forward, orange light leading her way as she walked. To her left and right, there seemed to be boxes made of the same blue energy. Each with a person inside of them. Not person, Link realised all of a sudden. Corpses. She should have been terrified, but instead, Link felt like she was floating. It was.. surreal. LIke it wasn't actually happening. Whispers, all of a sudden hit her ears as she approached a pedestal at the end of the orange light she was following.

"You should not be here."

"We are sorry."

"He should not have done this."

"You cannot trust--"

Link rubbed her eyes, the voices enveloping her, still quiet and yet loud at the same time, drowing each other out. And then the pedestal activated, a small strange slab appearing out of it. The voices all went quiet at once, as Link looked at the device that had appeared. It was long and impossibly thin, with two handles either side to carry it or to place it on a belt on your side perhaps? Link reached out and touched the device, as it glowed blue, a Sheikah symbol appearing on the front.

Link held the strange device in front of her, looking it all over. On the back, the Sheikah eye symbol stood proufoundly, a blue glowing eye in the center. This all felt.. familiar somehow. Even though she was sure she had never seen anything like this before. Touching the screen, it flipped between a couple of icons. A red one, a yellow one and a light blue one. There were others too it seemed. A green one. _("Damaged."_ her mind provided to her. _"It will take a long time to repair that one unfortunately.")_ There was a map too, she somehow knew. And a.. teleportation system? Was that right? Is that how she ended up the Great Hyrule Forest? Teleportation? _("You're good. I made the right choice it seems, in waiting for you.")_

* * *

When Link came back to the surface, her blue eyes back to their usual green, the old man glanced at her, startled. He was sitting by the shrine with one of the rice balls she had made earlier. "That wasn't that as long as I thought it would be-." his eyes drifted down to her side where the device on her hip lay and she flinched a little, trying to hide it. "Oh."

Link pointed back towards the pedestal, "The sword?" he asked, "Are you ready to try pulling it out now?" And Link nodded. She seemed to understand a lot more then before, and he wondered what exactly had happened down there. The two of them walked back in silence for a few moments, before the old man spoke again, "Don't worry about that device, I've heard about it before. I believe they called them Sheikah slates? Back in the day before the Great Calamity."

Link's brow furrowed a little, as she stood in front the pedestal. The air surrounding them felt palpable, and yet, she knew what to do. Reaching out with strength she hadn't felt before, Link took the hilt of the sword. All of a sudden, a jolt pressed through her body. ( _"It's okay, you will be fine. The sword is too damaged to fight you."_ ) The sword was testing her though, she felt. Making sure her heart was pure. She waited, for a moment, then pulled the sword out. It seemed to slice through the stone it was placed in like goat butter. In no time at all, the sword lay in her hands. Again, she was taken aback at just how big it was compared to her small body. And yet, it felt so light. Link had carried weapons before, and remembered them being so heavy compared to this sword. Link turned the hilt around in her hand, examining it. There were small chips in the blade, she spotted as she studied it, not noticing the pained look on the old man's face as he watched her.

"Ya-ha-ha!" suddenly voices called out in the forest, "The Hero took the Sword!" Link turned around, as suddenly almost almost hundreds of little wooden creatures were around her. She screamed out as she fell back. "Wh-what are they?!" Link didn't even realise at that moment, that without any struggle at all, they had been the first words she had spoken in six years.

* * *

As Link and the old man sat around the cooking pot once more, Link still holding the sword, the small Koroks (as Link had learned they were called) walked around them and the one called Natie approached her, "Hero! Would you like more mushrooms? I gave you some earlier but-"

"A-ah. No thank you, I'm alright." Link replied, she was getting more used to her voice by the minute. She reached up a little, gently massaging her throat. It was like she hadn't been mute for the last six years, hadn't felt her voice die in her throat every single time she had tried to speak, to the fellow villagers, to Kass, to her grandmother. Who still hadn't heard her granddaughter speak. She wondered if there was something wrong with her. If it had been so easy to speak now, why couldn't she before? Her fingers tightened over the hilt of the blade as a pang of guilt wracked her mind. She wanted to get back to Lurelin as soon as possible. Even though Link knew, she just knew that wasn't happening anytime soon.

"Link, may I ask," the old man spoke, glancing towards her, the rice balls long forgotten as the Koroks chattered around them, "what exactly happened down there in that shrine?"

Link picked up the slate that was attached to her belt, and as she did so, her eyes glowed blue, just for a moment, before returning to this usual green. "I was given this device, this.. Sheikah slate, I think you called it?" The old man nodded, "I was taught how to use the runes on it. Magnesis: an ability that controls magnetic objects. Stasis: you can use it to freeze things, even monsters and people! If you attack the frozen object, it stores the energy of your blow and if you hit it enough it can fly in the air. And cryonis:" she smiled wildly at that, "It's amazing! I think its my favourite of the three. It freezes water, it lets you walk over water. If I had this before.." A flash then of her father, looking over the pier of Lurelin at the island in the distance. She shook her head a little, "There are other runes too, but they're damaged."

"I see.." the old man said, "and, anything else?"

She looked at him, "The people who gave this to me, they told me I can't show this to anyone, I have to keep it a secret." she looked at the blade, secure in its scabbard, "The sword too But, you already know about both of those, I guess." Holding the sword up towards to the slate, it glowed as it was absorbed into the slate. The old man watched, stunned, as Link looked at the slate, "You can store things in here too." she picked up a few of the brown unidentified mushrooms that she hadn't used before and it too was absorbed by the slate, "Weapons, armour, even food. I was told any armour I obtain will automatically become my size as soon as its absorbed by the slate." 

"I see." The old man repeated, "And you learned all this in the mere minutes you were in that shrine?" Link nodded, holding the slate up above her face with one hand, its blue glow dim in the light of the Great Deku Tree's navel. The Koroks let out little excited chirping noises around them, and Link couldn't help but smile a little. They were quite cute these Koroks, if a little odd to get used to. She wondered why she hadn't been able to see them before when she had first arrived at the forest.

"And, may I ask, now that you have the sword and the slate. What will you do?" The old man looked a little sad as he looked down at his hands placed in his lap, "I believe the Great Deku Tree wanted you to head for the castle but.. if I may be so blunt, I don't think you're ready for that."

"I'm not." Link agreed, placing the slate back on her belt. "I was told, when I'm ready to leave the forest, that I should hold the slate back up the the shrine I entered, that with what little power they had left, I would be teleported to a place that could help me. I don't know what that means but--" Link hesitated, wondering how much she should tell him.

_("Here." the Sheikah monk that had trained her activated the map on the device."It won't work outside this shrine, there's not enough energy out there for that. But.. do you see the four glowing markers on it?" Link could see them, her eyes glowing brightly blue. The text was in Ancient Sheikah, but she could read it perfectly. East Resevoir Lake. Death Mountain. Hebra Plunge.Gerudo Desert. The Sheikah monk continued, "The four Divine Beasts we Sheikah created long ago lay now in those areas, unmoving for almost a century, since their guardians fell. You, child, must go to each of them. Awaken them from their slumber and add their power to your own. As you awaken each one, things will become much clearer to you.")_

Link's mouth tightened a little. It was so easy to agree back down there, despite how well they had taught her about how to use the slate itself, to the point it now felt like an extra arm to her, they had give her so little information about the quest itself, just vague hints and four directions. Now she was unsure. Still, in the back of her mind, she somehow knew that she would manage. As conflicting at those thoughts were. _  
_

The old man used the tip of his lantern on the flames under the cooking pot. He didn't seem convinced. She didn't blame him. "But I'll be fine, and you, you have your Great Plateau to get back to right?" He nodded at that, "Don't you worry about that, I can get back there quite easily."

Link clapped her hands together, standing up as the Koroks scattered. "Well, no time like the present right? Maybe they'll take me somewhere to get this teleportation system in the slate fixed. It would be nice if I could just teleport everywhere I need to go and then head back to Lurelin, right?" She laughed a little, but the old man looked at her. There was worry in his face, under that hood of his and she felt like she had to comfort him. "Don't worry, we both have a job to do, don't we? I can manage, I can do this. I know I can."

As they both headed towards the shrine, the old man trailing behind Link, he spoke gently, "Please, do be careful Link. We've lost people before in Hyrule. Not just our Champions of old, but people since then. People who thought to be heroes. Don't just be courageous and strong. You need to be smart too."

Link nodded, "I will." she smiled, "I hope we meet again." She grabbed the slate, reaching out for the pedestal, and the one man smiled, "I know we will Link." Suddenly a thought came to her, just as she placed the slate on the pedestal, she turned towards, "I forgot to ask, what's your nam--" but it was too late, as the blue of the rune enveloped her, teleporting her elsewhere.

The old man sighed, looking at where she had been standing. "That girl is too young for this."

"Hm." the Great Deku Tree pondered, "Her predecessor was even younger, if I remember right. I'm not sure. When it comes to you mortals, you are all so much younger then I am, after all."

The old man reached up for his hood, tightening it a little around his bearded face, "You're right."

* * *

When Link reappeared, the sky was bright and the first thing she became aware of was soft voices in the background and the clinking of.. wind chimes? She turned around, facing the shrine she had appeared in front of. It glowed blue, just like the one in Korok Forest. Turning back around, she wondered where she was as suddenly someone ran into her, the two of them falling to the ground. Quickly she scrambled to make sure the the Sheikah slate was hidden on her belt, pulling her lobster shirt over the device

"Hey!" a voice called out and Link found herself looking at the young girl who had plowed into her. A much younger girl then her, a Sheikah child. She realised, "Are you Hylian?" the girl excitedly asked, "I've never met another child other then me and my sister, I'm Cottla! What's your name? Can we play?" Link couldn't help but be reminded of Kinov and Zuta with how excited the girl was. It was.. a nostalgic, happy feeling for once.

* * *

Meanwhile, deep in Gerudo Valley, a tired figure was walking up Karusa Valley. The Yiga footsoldier placed her vicious sickle on her belt, removing her mask and yawning into her hand as she trugged slowly up towards the hideout. What a boring day, only three merchants ambushed and the first two had had nothing substatial. Still, she thought as she lifted the gold ruppee she had taken from the third merchant, at least she'd gotten something in the end, even if she had spent hours bored out of mind. She wished she had a duplex bow instead, then at least she could have some fun aggravating the bokoblins around Gerudo Canyon Pass. Maybe they would have attacked one of the travellers for her, sounded fun.

The footsoldier stretched out her back as she walked past the frog statues that littered the path to the hideout. Still, the blademasters would be happy with what she had gotten, so she could maybe eat some bananas and take a nap before training. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw something blue. Immediately, the footsoldier was on high alert, mask back on, vicious sickle out. That was not a normal colour around these parts. Slowly, she edged along the path, wondering what she had seen. Had someone followed her? They would be pretty stupid if they had, they'd end up dead.

The footsoldier continued following the path. There was nothing up here except for the luminous stone deposits and the traitorous Shiekah pedestal right? She peered up at the sky, the sun still blazing hot in the derert. It was too early for the luminous stones to be glowing. She looked around again, making sure that there was no-one there, before giving the pedestal a good kick and chuckling a little.

"Dumb traitorous Sheikah. Your little hero ain't coming back you know. He's dead. We won." she turned around, yawning again and heading back to hideout. "I really need to take a nap, I'm seeing things." And then the pedestal glowed bright, first orange, and then blue. The vicious sickle dropped from her hand into the ground below as she looked dumbfounded at the pedestal. There was no way this was happening. This couldn't be happening. The pedestal glowed back to orange, before deactivating again, but the footsoldier's mind was racing. "I have to tell a blademaster." before rushing off into the direction of the hideout.


	4. Kakariko Village

Just above the entrance of the Yiga hideout, a footsoldier lay on the rock formation, snoring heavily, his mask and duplex bow discared at the side. The footsoldier batted at his face a little as he rolled onto his side to hide to keep the blazing sun above him out of his face, one arm lolling over the front of the hideout's entrance.

Bant groggily opened his eyes a little, glancing down at path before him before shutting his eyes again, curling up into the rock. Was it the best idea sleeping on the job like this, when he was supposed to be on guard duty? Probably not all things considered, but honetly, what would the blademasters even do with him at this point? He'd already got kicked out the regular footsoldier program ( _"What a waste, why are you showing pity to travellers for? The only good Hylian is a dead Hylian, Bant."_ ) and he had failed spectacuarly at the blademaster training, not like Bant had ever _wanted_ to be a blademaster in the first place. They could always throw him into the medic program he guessed, but, ha, he couldn't use healing magic to save his _own_ life, having to rely on his partner's magic while they were trainees together. And he barely knew how to cook edible food, let alone potent powerful elixirs. He'd be more of a liability there.

So archery and guard duty it was. If Bant had had just one talent during his trainee days, it was bow training. To be fair, everyone else still outclassed him, especially his perfect top marks partner, who could even hit a sand seal miles away, but at least he wasn't a total screw up here. And despite being one of the oldest archers in the program (guard duty was usually a temorary thing used as a way to build up one's skills on the path to becoming a blademaster, _not_ as a last resort thing) and a walking punchline among the Yiga Clan ( _"You need to do better in your training, lest you end up like that washed up failed blademaster Bant."_ ) it was still a decent life, albeit a boring one. He had food and a place to sleep (even if he didn't get enough as it as he would have liked) and really, that was all that really mattered to Bant in the end, even if he was an outcast among the already outcasted clan.

In the distance Bant could hear running towards the hideout entrance, and he groaned a bit too loudly, sitting up and dangling his legs over the front of the rock, looking down at the entrance below and leaning forward on his knees a little as a much younger footsoldier came up to the gates, "If you wish to enter our hideout free, then first you must answer these riddles three~"

He could feel the footsoldier's glare at him, "I don't have time for this failed blademaster _Bant_." she spat his name, "I need to find an actual blademaster, it's important!" Bant rolled his eyes a little at that, these younger clan members were always in such a hurry, to finish their training, to become blademasters themselves. Why not live a little, take a nap, eat something that _isn't_ a mighty banana for once in your miserable life.

Bant leaned over onto his elbow, rolling the drawstring of his duplex bow over the index finger of his free hand, "Hey, I got a job to do too. What if one of our footsoldiers was ambused out there, had their outfit stolen and the perpetrator tried sneaking in here? I can't just release the protection spell keeping our hideout shut for anyone to be let in, ya know?"

 _"You can sense my magic!"_ The footsoldier yelled in frustration, "If I wasn't Yiga, you would know! Even the youngest of Yiga trainees can sense each other through their disguises. Even someone like you isn't that incompete-!"

"What is the meaning of this?" a low deep voice spoke out, and Bant yelped as he shot to attention, teleporting down to the entrance. The two footsoldiers stood up straight as the entrance to the hideout opened and a single blademaster appeared. Bant recognised the blademaster instantly and his heart fell. Great, this was just what he needed.

"Respected blademaster!" the younger girl next to him cried out, clasping her hands together and bowing to him so deeply that the top of her tied up hair almost touched the ground. Bant looked at her in disgust, thankful his mask was back in place. Why not have some respect for yourself first? The blademaster put up his hand (Bant could just _feel_ the contempt for them radiating off him) and the girl relaxed back into a standing position.

"Speak, footsoldier. What is the problem?"

"It's that shrine," The footsoldier glanced back in the direction of it, "the one not too far from the hideout. It started to glow a while ago when I passed it."

Bant scoffed at that, "You must've been seeing things."

 _"Quiet, archer."_ The blademaster snapped at him.

Bant couldn't help but flinch, swallowing his tongue.

"Show me."

* * *

In Kakariko Village, Koko approached her home, carrying a small assortment of items. At first she had just been asked to pick up some swift carrots, after she had left though she she realised that Trissa had slipped a goat butter in for her free of charge. Then, as she had passed Olkin, he had handed her one of his just grown pumpkins. She was used to this, but still apologised profusely saying she had no more rupees. Olkin had just smiled and given it to her anyway. ( _"You and your sister need to eat more pumpkin, not just Steen's carrots you know!"_ )

Koko had never left Kakariko Village, but from what she had heard from listening in to travelers from other places, their own villages were small tight knit communities, people who banded together against the darkness of their world, living together and surviving. Kakariko played that role too. But Koko saw it, underneath the smiles the villagers of Kakariko held for travelers and for each other, even as they helped each other as they could, lay a deep sadness.

After all, she thought as she looked back down at the elder's home, the Sheikah of Kakariko Village had been broken long before she had been born.

But.. she thought as she came up to the door, hearing giggling inside from Cottla, she couldn't really blame them. Koko wasn't that far away from her eleventh birthday, but already she had become used to putting on a smile for her little sister's sake. Opening the door, she called out "Cottla, I'm home."

"Koko!" Her five year old sister rushed up to her, jumping up and down on her feet, "We had so much fun today, we played all sorts of games! Like hide and seek and tag!"

That's when Koko spotted her, the sandy brown Hylian girl with blonde hair and green eyes, who barely looked that much older then her. She was sitting down in front of the table, her eyes shut. The girl looked tired, not surprising. 

"Link!" Cottla called out and the girl jolted, sitting back up, "This is my big sister, Koko." Cottla continued to jump, even now she still had so much excitement in her. She'd be like that for the rest of the night until she fell asleep, "Koko, this is my new friend Link!"

"Hello." the girl, Link, smiled at her. She looked sheepish, like she probably hadn't wanted to come into the home. But Koko knew Cottla, how she wouldn't have taken no for an answer. Despite her worry at Cottla just letting in a stranger into their home, the girl was clearly safe. There was nothing to worry about, at least not this time.

"What are we having for dinner Koko?" Cottla excitedly asked, still bouncing on her feet.

Koko moved over to the nearby chest, first placing the ingredients she had just gotten into the it and then overlooking the ingredients they had left. She spotted the lone slices of meat first. Those would have to be used soon, glancing over at the pumpkin. A recipe popped into her head, but she discarded the thought immediately. She looked at what else she had left, a still fresh bottle of milk and some leftover Tabantha wheat. Those she could combine with the goat butter she had just been given, "How about pumpkin stew?"

Cottla squealed at that, "Pumpkin stew! Can Link stay for dinner too?"

"Pumpkin stew sounds delightful, Koko, Cottla, I'll help too." another voice joined in and the two girls looked up at the door as another person entered the small house. Removing the wooden curved hat that all Sheikah wore, the newcomer moved to place the hat on the nearby rack, brushing the white untidy out of their face and turned to face the three children. She was a tall Sheikah woman, with a round face much like Cottla's, and Cottla bounded into her, her excitement almost knocking the woman back a little.

"Mama! Mama's home!"

* * *

"It was right here, I wasn't seeing things, I swear blademaster!" The footsoldier had her fists balled up at her sides. "It has to mean something, these pedestals glowing now." She didn't say it, but all three were thinking it. The knew the signs to look out for.

"Well it isn't glowing now." Bant muttered, bored, as the blademaster held one hand to the deactivated pedestal, bent over on one knee. "I mean what's the point anyway? Even if the pedestal _did_ glow, it wouldn't mean anything. They were supposed to be trials right? No-one's coming to activate these trials now. The hero died long before any of us were born." He didn't even know why he'd followed them, leaning back a little and placing his clasped hands on the back of his head, "These old pedestals are probably damaged after thousands of years, our ancient ancestors who built them so long ago rotted along with them." Good riddance, Bant throught bitterly. The last thing he needed was some ancient hero appearing out of nowhere. He might have actually been forced to work for once.

The blademaster stood tall, looking to the east as the sun descended over the mountain range, "Footsoldier, I want you to teleport near here, ovelooking nearby Birida Lookout."

"Y-yes blademaster!" The footsoldier instantly disappeared, rune talismans swarming around where she had teleported from. The blademaster looked back at Bant, "You should come too, _archer_. It will be a good lesson for the both of you." Bant could tell from the tone of his voice that it wasn't a request, and bit his tongue in retort, "Of course blademaster." Summoning his own rune talismans, the pure Sheikah magic crystalised in their forms, he teleported to the location asked. Beneath them sprawled the massive deep valley, with a bottomless pit much like the one in their own hideout.

The blademaster teleported behind them but Bant didn't look back at him, chosing to watch the bokoblins and mobilns that littered the circling path up to where they stood. The bokoblins were surrounding a camp fire, chewing on raw meat as they chattered amongst themselves in that odd language of theirs. _Disgusting creatures_ , he couldn't help but think. While monsters and Yiga alike served the Calamity, the monsters didn't care who you were. Aggressive little bastards that would attack anything that moved funny, smart enough to figure out how to set their weapons on fire and how to ride horses, but not smart enough to realise they were on the same side. And to top it off, Yiga clan members weren't even allowed to attack them back.

( _"Only if it's a life or death situation and you're unable to get away." Bant remembered his teachings, "Each monster destroyed strengthens the forces against the Great Calamity. But do not worry, even if you are forced against your will to end the life of an ally, they will always be revived thanks to the greatness of the blood moon."_ ) That's right. The monsters who were revived each and every time the blood moon shone brightly above them, they weren't allowed to kill. But if they were killed, well, there was no coming back from that. What was fair about that?

The blademaster approached the two footsoldiers from behind, placing a hand on both of their shoulders and Bant tensed, getting a good view of the windcleaver fastened to his belt. "Tell me, do you remember your initiation ceremony footsoldier?" he asked, his voice low, to the female footsoldier. Bant didn't want to, his eyes closing behind his mask as he tried to shoo away his memories of his own painful muffled screaming even as he choked out his oath to kill anyone who dared oppose the Calamity, the Yiga oath unchanged even after thousands of years, long after their supposed enemy, the hero, had died.

"Y-yes, of course."

"Good. So this should be a familiar sight. This bottomless pit is so much like the one we have at the hideout, is it not?" his fingers tightened on their shoulders, "But tell me footsoldier, do you know what's so special about this particular pit?"

The two footsoldiers dared not to look back at the blademaster. Bant had no idea what was going in that hooded masked head of his, but by Calamity, the intimidation sure was doing it's job. The female footsoldier shook her head at that, "No, I have no idea, I'm sorry blademaster."

He released their shoulders and walked around the two, Bant releasing the breath he had been holding, "It's understandable, there are only certain things they teach you after you become a blademaster after all. You believe the hero to have returned miracously from death, do you not footsoldier?"

He did not wait for her to respond, the blademaster suddenly lunging forward, grabbing the female footsoldier by her throat and lifting her clear off the ground. Bant screamed, teleporting back by instinct just a few steps away, and he heard the confused shreiking of the bokoblins down below. "Wh-what are you doing?!" he yelled at the blademaster, but he did not respond. Then Bant watched, horrified, as the blademaster raised his arm over the bottomless pit. She reached out desperately, her feet flailing and, grabbing at his arm to secure herself. One wrong move and the footsoldier would fall into the pit.

The blademaster continued, speaking as coldly and calmly as he had before, as if the life of the footsoldier wasn't dangling in his hand, "And yet, if such a thing had happened, the proof would exist right in front of us, would it not?"

"H-hey.." Bant felt himself collapse to the ground a few steps away. He couldn't keep himself up on his legs much longer, with the trembling. This was too much, even for him! The footsoldier choked desperately in his grip, as her mask loosened, falling off her face. The mask fell slowly, cracking on a wall as it tumbled down, disappearing in the mist below. "P-please, I'm so sorry respected blademaster! I don't know what I've done, but I can make it up, I can go back to training, right from the start!"

"What you've done is waste my time, _footsoldier_." the blademaster spat at her, his fingers loosening a little as she slid down his hand, her chin pressing at his gloved hand, between the thumb and index finger. She sobbed desperately, holding onto his arm for her life. "Look down there, at that pit footsoldier, go on, look." Despite herself, she obeyed him, looking down past her feet at the bottomless pit below her. "Tell me, do you see anything down there? Like a tower perhaps?"

"No, no I see nothing!"

"Of course you don't." the blademaster spat, throwing her to the ground behind him. Bant crawled forward on his knees, holding the younger girl's shoulders. He was a Yiga clan footsoldier, and he had no idea how to be comforting to another person, but despite himself he tried, holding her as she choked for breath. "The hero is dead. There is nothing here but people and monsters, and we Yiga stopped people a long time ago. You're no good to the clan now if you dream about glory and taking out a hero long dead. Do your job, footsoldier. It's the only thing you were born to do."

The footsoldier nodded, "Yes, thank you respected blademaster." she pulled away from Bant and teleported away, rune talismans left behind as she went. Bant glared up at the blademaster, suddenly feeling a lot more stronger now that he wasn't terrified of one of their own dying in front of him (again). "What the hell was that about? You took it way too far man." he stood up, ripping his own mask from his face, glaring into the blademaster's own mask with his own far too old eyes, "We don't _do_ anything here anyways except ambush travelers for their loot, buy bananas with what we get, when we're not stealing those too when we can. You can't blame the younger footsoldiers for being bored, I bet you barely do anything either, except train with your other blademaster pals and the Master."

"Watch your tongue, _Bant_." the blademaster spoke coldly.

"Oh, so you do remember my name." Bant felt so enboldened right now, even though there was nothing stopping his ex partner from throwing _him_ into the pit if he wanted.

"We're Yiga. We don't have names once we graduate. Your insistence on clinging to that name certainly didn't help getting you to where you are now." he sighed, looking away contemplatively, "You were never the best trainee, but you had potential. It's too bad you've squandered it over the years."

Bant scoffed, "What, so I can be a blademaster like you, traumatizing greenhorns just for crime of dreaming of a more exciting life? No thanks, I think I'll pass."

His ex partner suddenly teleported in front of him, grabbing him by the front of his outfit and teleporting again, slamming him into the rock formation in front of him. Bant yelled out, his old back creaking under the strain. He was only middle aged, and yet he was too old for this. "Watch yourself, Bant." his ex partner hissed, "You're barely tolerated here as is. The only reason you're allowed to live as you are is because we need everyone here. There's no good use in a dead Yiga, however incompetent they might be." he released the footsoldier and Bant groaned as he dropped to the floor. "Now, get back to your guard post."

Bant watched as the blademaster teleported away, rolling onto his side as he crawled weakly towards his dropped mask, looking back at where his ex partner had once been. Despite himself, he remembered their days out in Hyrule as young footsoldiers. It wasn't a normal situation they had been put in, Yiga trainees mostly disolved from their groups by the time they graduated, but Bant had been a special case, so his partner had remained with him.

Those memories were mostly him doing stupid things because he was young and dumb, his partner yelling at him all the way. Sharing bananas around a campfire they had somehow managed to cobble together, talking about the future. His partner's small smile, despite how serious he had been even back then, as he talked about one day becoming the greatest blademaster. Bant had encouraged him then. Maybe he shouldn't have bothered, if he'd known how much of a bastard he would have become. "You had a name too, you know." he muttered as he placed the mask back onto his face, teleporting back to his post.

* * *

Link loved seafood paella, but this stew.. the pumpkin was tough but sweet at the same time, enhanced by the goat butter and the Tabantha wheat had thickened the milk considerably, complimenting the pumpkin wonderfully. She hadn't realised just how hungry she had been (the rice balls she had cooked back in the forest had been quickly forgotten with everything that had happened back there) until the bowl of stew was placed in front of her.

"So Link," the Sheikah woman spoke, as she ate from her own bowl, "You're from Lurelin, right?" Link nodded as she swallowed her spoonful of stew. Was is that obvious that she hailed from Lurelin? Both the old man and now this Sheikah woman knew she was from there. The woman smiled, "I've been there you know, a long time ago. I used to travel a lot in my younger years, learning recipes from all over Hyrule, your village is so warm and welcoming."

"Mama's such a good cook!" Cottla slammed her hands on the table, causing her bowl to tip a little and Koko grabbed at her bowl before it fell over, "She knows so many recipes!"

"Oh, I don't promise to know all of them, you're always learning new way to improve and combine food." She ate some more of her stew that she and Koko had made together, "And there's things out there even I've never even seen personally, like Goron spice. I was never able to get near Death Mountain, its just too hot up there." She smiled in Link's direction, "My name is Kiyah, by the way. Of course, you've met my girls Koko and Cottla already."

"Link." She felt embarassed saying it, Kiyah already knew her name after all. But it was a formality she guessed, Kakariko seemed like a more rigid village structure then her home of Lurelin. Kiyah nodded, looking back to her younger daughter, "So I heard the two of you played all day?"

"Yeeeaahh!" Cottla bounced up, "We played tag near the fountain! We even saw some fairies around there!"

"Cottla," Kiyah spoke gently, "You should really be careful up there, you're only small and there's so many trees. What if you were to get lost?"

"I know, I know." Cottla sat back down, burying her face in her bowl as she began to eat quickly, "But it was so fun, I forgot!"

Link felt warm as the stew spread settled in her stomach. She had never known what it was like to have younger siblings, Kinov and Zuta were the only other children in the village. She had played with Cottla all day, because it had reminded her of playing them back in the day. It had made her forget the monumental task that had placed in front of her, if only for a little while. She could feel the hum of the slate pressed against her side, hidden under her clothes as she completely finished the bowl.

"So Link," Kiyah spoke, looking back at her, "Where are your parents, are they staying in the inn tonight? I hope they're not too worried about you being gone all day."

Link tried to keep her face neutral as she smiled back, "That's right, they're at the inn."

Cottla was yawning into her bowl now, and even Koko was rubbing her eyes a little. "Come on you two, its time for bed." Kiyah stood up, collecting the bowls. Cottla tugged on Link's blue shirt a little, "Will you be here tomorrow Link? Can we play some more?"

"I can't promise that, but I will ask if we're staying tomorrow. If not, I'll make sure to come say goodbye at least."

Cottla pouted a little, at that but nodded, "Okay." After both girls said good night, Kiyah walked with Link outside of the house and they rested by a nearby tree next to the house. Kiyah looked up at the tree sadly, then back down to Link "Thank you for spending the day with my girls. I'm busy a lot with the village, so I don't get to play them a lot. Even Koko seems enamoured with you now. I haven't seen her smile like that in a long time." The woman looked contemplative, "It must be hard being a traveler at such a young age, I was the same you know. My father and I traveled between Hateno and Kakariko a lot, its not a good life on the road for a child."

Link felt so bad for lying, but what could she do? "We manage. It's all I've ever known."

Kiyah nodded at that, "Isn't that true for all of us. You can manage getting back to the inn all right? I need to make sure the girls settle."

Link nodded, thanful that Cottla had told her about all the buildings in the town earlier, including the inn and shop, so she could make her way there easily.

"That's good, take care Link, the night here in Kakariko can be more chilly then in Lurelin, I hope I see you again."

"You too." Link said quietly, as Kiyah closed the door. Her hands moved up to her arms as the cold chill of the evening air touched her arms. She wasn't quite sure what she was doing here. When the ancient Sheikah monks said they'd teleport her somewhere she needed to go, she thought she would have been telelorted somewhere to help her with the damaged runes, or one of the places she needed to go to on the map she had been shown, but no she had ended in this village instead. Still, there must have been a _reason_ she was brought here, right? First she needed to rest though, so she headed towards the inn. Despite the fact that she knew she wasn't going to be able to afford a bed, since she had no rupees on her whatsoever. Link really should have asked someone about that before she left the village, although she doubted the ancient Sheikah or the strange Koroks tribe could have helped her with that.

* * *

Kiyah sighed as she sat down, having finally got Cottla off to sleep, rubbing at her eyes a little. But barely a moment later, she stood back up, drifting over to the front door and opening it a crack to look outside. Nothing out of the ordinary. She had no idea why she was on such high alert tonight. "Mother?" Kiyah turned to face her eldest daughter. Koko had gotten good at sneaking around the place these past few years. Too good.

Kiyah smiled a little, "You really should be in bed." The girl shook her head, moving over to her mother and burying her head into her Kiyah's side, reaching out for her hand. Kiyah in turn took her daughter's hand, gently comforting her. "I'm sorry for not watching Cottla."

"There's nothing to apologise for, Koko." Kiyah moved to sit down in front of the open door, the cool breeze hitting her face as the girl sat down beside her.

"You told me I need to be careful."

"I did.." Kiyah hesitated, realising now the burden she had put on her eldest, "but only to an extent. Hylians are good natured folk. They're good people." _Not like us_ , she thought, looking out the door at the tree nearby, it's leaves blowing off in the wind. "Everything went well today Koko. You and Cottla made a new friend, and we had a good meal." Kiyah pat her daughter's hair's comfortingly, "You don't need to worry about everything Koko, we'll manage like we always do. Now come on, let's get _you_ to bed now."

* * *

Link curled up beside the nearby warm cooking pot. It wasn't the best of places to sleep, but it was free. ( _"How much for a bed?" she had timidly asked the inn keeper, hoping possibly that he would see how young she was and let her stay for free. Alas, that did not happen. The barely awake young Sheikah man replying almost immediately, "Twenty rupees for a bed, fourty for a soft bed." She had plenty more then that at home, had she known she was going to be called to an adventure before hand, she would have prepared more. Link wandered around the town for a little while, hoping a merchant would come by. Perhaps she could trade that brown mushroom she had stored in the slate for some rupees? But Link knew she couldn't risk someone seeing the slate long enough to pull the mushroom out of it and the village's local shops were long shut. In the end she had resigned herself to sleeping outside and hoping for the best._ ) 

Still, she thought, shivering against the cold air of Kakariko, it really was so different from her home. Lurelin was so warm and bright, on really good days one would have been able to sleep outside. Well.. it it were safe to do so. Ironically because of how open Lurelin was it, was a lot more dangerous then Kakariko, which was protected by it's surrounding mountains.

Looking up into the starry sky, Link wondered what she should do tomorrow. She knew she had brought to this village in particular for a reason. Maybe she should try to find the village elder? Before entering the inn, Link had noticed a lone guard standing in front of the largest house in Kakariko, in the center of the village. She wasn't sure how she was going to convince him to let her speak to the elder without showing him the slate. Kiyah might have welcomed Link into her home, but that wasn't going to be so easy for the rest of the journey. Now that she thought about it, Link frowned, thinking about the four areas she had been told to go to.

All four areas were very close to the four main tribes of Hyrule: Zora's Domain, Goron City, Rito Village and Gerudo Town. Rito Village she likely would have no trouble getting into, as she knew Kass and he could put in a good word for her. As for Gerudo Town she would have no trouble getting into it as is, as she was a.. what was it the Geurdo girl who stayed in Lurelin called her? A vai? However, trying to meet their cheftian herself might cause a bit of trouble. No, it was Zora's Domain and Goron City she most worried about. The Zora's were a closed off tribe and no-one had seen much of them since the Great Calamity. And the Gorons lived all the way on the boiling hot Death Mountain. As Kiyah had said, just reaching that place would be a nightmare.

Leaning over to hide the slate from view, she carefully slid it out from her belt, tapping the screen lightly as the blue Sheikah eye lit up, then the rune selector. Cryonis might work for Zora's Domain. She could try climbing the waterfalls with it to get all the way up there. And for Goron City she could try making a few fireproof elixirs (she had never made elixirs before, but it couldn't be that much more difficult then cooking). But what would she do if she ran out of elixirs just trying to get to that place? Especially with the teleportation rune still damaged..

Link groaned a little, placing the slate down beside her and rubbing at her face. Why had this happened to her? There was nothing special about Link, she was just a girl who lived in Lurelin Village. The Koroks had called her a hero, but she didn't feel like that at all. Slipping the slate back into her belt and pulling her shirt back down to hide it, Link tried to shut her eyes and get some sleep.

* * *

Lasli slowly walked back from graveyard as the cool Kakariko air swept around her. She knew she had probably spent too long there yet again and would get another scolding by Nanna in the morning, but it was so easy to lose track of time as she stood by the graves, lost in her own thoughts.

As Lasli walked back to her home, she looked back over the small village. The only ones out now were of course Cado, still at his guard post, as well as Olkin and Steen. As she walked past her elder sister's shuttered shop, the air in Kakariko seemed to freeze for a moment and something felt off. Lasli looked behind her again. And let out a loud terrifying scream. Behind her, coming in the village from the graveyard, crawling over the walls were bokoblins, doors all over the village flew open in a panic as Lasli staggered and fell back, the bokoblins advancing into the village. And Cado rushed forward, his phrenic bow in hand as he let loose a few arrows into swarm of bokoblins, trying to disorient them. "Please, everyone get back inside!"

"Lasli!" a voice called out and Kiyah was running out towards her, carrying an eightfold blade in her hand. Her sister's shop was already shuttered, Claree and Nanna both safely in their house at the back of the village that lead towards Kakariko bridge. Lasli would not make it back in time, "Here, get in my home. You'll be safe there."

"Kiyah, wait, what about you?" Lasli called after her as she entered Kiyah's home. Kiyah looked back towards her, "Don't worry, just close the door and look after my girls for me, okay? Cado!" she ran towards the guard, and he looked at her startled, "Kiyah what are you doing?! You're not a fighter." He continued to fire arrows at the ascending bokoblins.

"I know how to fight monsters Cado, I travelled a lot when I was younger remember?"

"That was then. It's been almost twenty years since then." Cado snapped back, "What about your girls?"

"Lasli is looking after them."

Behind them, Olkin had run into the nearby inn and Steen, bless his heart, was trying to join them as his wife Trissa begged him to get inside their shop. Kiyah lunged forward, slashing at a bokoblin with her blade and it collapsed, as she rushed back to join Cado who was now continously firing arrows, spearing as many of them as he could.

The both of them backed away, Cado becoming tenser and tenser as the bokoblins approached near the front of Impa's house. Turning back to Steen, he yelled at the older Sheikah, "Steen! Listen to your wife and _get inside now_!" Trissa pulled her husband inside who stopped arguing immediately after Cado had yelled at him, and shuttered the door.

Kiyah lunged forward again, picking off another bokoblin. Another one nearby her tried to use this attack to attack her, and she barely just managed to avoid its club as she backed away. "Where are they coming from?" Kiyah yelled as they avoided attacks from the monsters, "And why now?" she looked up at the sky full of stars, "It's not even a blood moon tonight, even if it was we've never been attacked like this before!" Maybe occasionally a quite aggressive monster would enter the town on a blood moon to attack and was quickly taken out by Cado's impressive archery skill.

"I don't know!" Cado shot another two arrows, head shotting two bokoblins who crumpled as the others monsters descended upon the town. "But I'm not letting them get anywhere _near_ Impa!"

Kiyah continued to attack, more aggressively as the two Sheikah were pushed back towards Impa's house. Then, out of the corner of her eye, Kiyah saw someone, and was horrified when she recognised who it was. Link, the Hylian girl from Lurelin, hiding behind the cooking pot. No no no, what was she doing out here?! Had she somehow accidentally left the inn in the confusion earlier? Some of the bokoblins had noticed the girl too and left the two Sheikah to chase her, raising their clubs. The girl seemed paralyzed with fear, looking at the monsters.

She wasn't going to make it in time. Moving the hilt of her blade into her mouth, Kiyah quickly focused her energy as she made a few quick albeit sloppy signals with her hands. It wasn't a good spell, but she somehow managed to teleport in front of Link, just as the boko club smashed into her side. Kiyah winced as the pain shot through her whole body, but she pulled the blade back out of her mouth, slashing at the red bokoblin at it staggered back.

"Kiyah.." Link stared at her. There were tears welling in the girl's eyes,

"It's okay Link, just hurry, get into the inn as quick as possible, I'll make a path for you." Kiyah reached out for Link's hand, as the bokoblins surrounded the three of them.

Cado grunted as he fell back towards Kiyah, "This is bad. I have to stop them from swarming Impa's house!" But the bokoblins seemingly weren't interested in any of the houses, especially not Impa's. Now that all the remaining villagers had safely entered their homes, the bokoblins attention was focused on them and them alone.

Kiyah shook her head, "No, bokoblins only go after things they can see, they don't care about the houses. They're after us. We need to get inside, all three of us. The longer we stay out, the more danger we'll be in." Cado released a few more arrows, spearing a couple of bokoblins as they shrieked with anger. Kiyah held Link's hand securely, her free hand holding her weapon as she tried to edge them to the inn which was the closest building to them.

"I'm not going to abandon my post Kiyah!" Cado snapped at her, "I'll get to Impa's if I can and stay inside. I have to protect her!"

"There's too many of them for one person, you'll die trying!" Kiyah pleaded, "They won't go to Impa's, as soon as we all get inside they'll leave. Please, trust me Cado!"

Cado turned to her, his eyes suddenly narrowed, "Oh, like I trusted you when you brought that _spy_ into our village?!"

Kiyah's eyes turned pained in an instant and Cado seemed to just realise what he had said, looking away from her, horrified and regretful at his own words. Then they both started to attack the bokoblins with a more ferverish response, trying to push them back out of the village while taking out as many as they could.

"Get in the inn now, Link!"

"Kiyah-!"

"That's an order, Link, please!" Kiyah looked back at Link as she slashed a bokoblin at her side, "I don't want to be the one to tell your parents why I couldn't protect you!" there was tears in her eyes, "You're just a child! You shouldn't have to deal with all of this!" She turned back the monsters as they continued to fight them back.

But Link had had enough. She had already suffered enough in her young life, the memory of her parent's bodies plaguing her nightmares for years, even after she had gained her voice back. And she wouldn't let another child lose their parent.

Grabbing at the slate at her belt, Link released the sword in an instant as her eyes lit up blue and even the sword itself also seemed to shine brightly. Time itself seemed to slow down as she became acutely aware of the enemies. Five red bokoblins left. And something else, she could sense it. A moblin, lying in wait just beyond the gates, waiting for the two Sheikah to push the bokoblins back so it could attack. She had to move quickly. Holding the hilt of the sword, Link pushed forward, running between the two Sheikah towards the enemies.

"Link!" Kiyah screamed out.

"No, what is that child doing?!"

Immediately all five (six) pairs of monster eyes locked on her, but it was too late as the sword sliced easily through the first bokoblin and it shrieked, the malice escaping its red form. Another one tried to attack, but Link was quicker, turning her body and kicking out, she seemed to evade its attack almost effortlessly, turning the sword back on it, and slicing at the bokoblin, forcing its body back into another one that had rushed forward, spearing both on the sword at once. Kiyah watched stunned and Cado dropped his arm to his side, still holding his bow in amazement. That was when they both saw something that stopped their thoughts in thoughts dead in their tracks. For Cado, he saw the Sheikah slate on the girl's belt. For Kiyah, she recognised the blade itself, having seen drawings of it from her father's history books.

Link, her eyes still glowing fiercely blue, turned to the two remaining bokoblins and raised the blade towards them. The bokoblins seemed to stagger back for a moment, but Link wasn't looking at them as the moblin walked forward. It was staring right at her sword, and as Link looked at the malice fueled eyes of the moblin, she suddenly had the feeling that the Calamity itself was looking directly at her. She should have been terrified, but instead, she just felt calm.

"You want the sword? Come get it."

The moblin raised its huge club over its head, and Link slid down onto the ground, under the legs of the moblin as its club smashed into the ground, pushing herself up and kicking herself up against the nearby wall, as the moblin tried to pull its club back up in time for a second attack, but it was too late as Link pushing forwards into moblin's back, slicing it once, twice, then right down the middle as the moblin shrieked out, its malice escaping its form as the body crumbled. The two remaining bokoblins charged at her from the back, howling, but Link was too quick. With a sudden agility she had never known before, she flipped behind them as their clubs smashed into each other, dazing both, and with one horizontal slash, she sliced through both bokoblins, ending the fight.

"Kiyah.. Kiyah." Cado said, stunned, "That.. that slate."

"The slate?!" Kiyah looked at him, "Cado, look at the _sword_. She's the hero! The hero is alive!" Oh Hylia. Kiyah looked back at Link as she came back to, her eyes turning back to their usual green as Kiyah realised what that meant, her hands clasping over her mouth. Kiyah had always believed, no, she had _wanted_ to believe that somehow the hero would return. But as she looked at the girl who had effortlessly destroyed the enemies that had attacked their village, the child that wasn't that much older then her own daughter, despite herself, Kiyah felt incredibly pained.


	5. The Stolen Heirloom

As the three walked back to Impa's house, Cado fidgeted slightly, "Kiyah," he murmured quietly, so that Link, walking ahead of them wouldn't hear, "I.. I want to apologise for what I said earlier." Kiyah smiled, but Cado could still see the hurt in her eyes, "You don't need to apologise Cado."

"Kiyah-"

"Link!" Kiyah ran forward, tapping the young girl on the shoulder as she looked up at Kiyah with her green eyes, "Come on, let's get you into Impa's home before anything else happens." she looked back at Cado and Link looked back at him too, "Is it really alright to disturb Impa like this?" and Cado nodded, "Impa needs to know, we can't wait."

* * *

_As Link sheathed the blade back into its scabbard a few moments after the battle, the girl had suddenly staggered and collapsed. The two Sheikah rushing over, Kiyah grabbing at the girl's body before her head slammed into the ground, and Cado grabbing the scabbard before it fell. He had looked over at Kiyah, who lifted the girl onto her back, and then at the two buildings closest to them. The inn would be too crowded, not just with their fellow Sheikah, but Hylian travelers. They couldn't just appear in there with a Sheikah slate and the mystical legendary blade of heroes long past. So.. his eyes moved to the building next to him._

_"We need to take her to Rola's shop."_

_"Is that okay, Cado-"_

_"It's fine. I can unlock it, Rola won't mind." that was a bit of a white lie, but the shop was empty. It was better then the inn. Cado unlocked the shutter of the shop and they carried the collapsed girl and the blade into it, as he quickly relocked the shutter, turning back to the two. Kiyah was sitting next to the girl, her hand gently stroking at the girl's hair. He could see the pain in her eyes, and his own regret bloomed in his chest again, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. This was so unfair._

_Looking out of the small window of his estranged wife's shop, he looked back at Impa's house. Kiyah had been right, there were no more monsters out there, the girl had killed the last of them. And if had been any more in waiting, they were long gone now that the village way empty._

_"Kiyah." he spoke, hesitantly, eyeing the Sheikah slate at the girl's belt, "It's possible that the reason the village was attacked in the first place was because of the girl." Perhaps the Calalmity had sensed the hero was alive, and sent monsters to get rid of her while she was still weak, or perhaps it was the slate itself or the sword that had been sensed._

_"I know." Kiyah's free hand balled into a fist as she looked down at Link, "I'm such a fool Cado."_

_"Kiyah-" But the conversation was interrupted when Link's eyes fluttered open, her green eyes focusing on the two Sheikah._

* * *

The three walked up the wooden bridge towards Impa's house and Cado knocked on the door. A few moments later, the door opened a crack, a young Sheikah girl barely visible through it. Paya's brown eyes looking over the two Sheikah, "A-ah, Cado, Kiyah, is it all over?"

Cado nodded, "Everything's okay now lady Paya, the monsters are gone. Can we come in? We need to see your grandmother, it's quite urgent." The door closed again and there was a sound of fumbling from inside, as Paya unlocked all the shutters, and fully opened the door.

As Cado and Kiyah walked into their elder's home, Link hesitated for a moment, still clasping the blade's scabbard in her arms, the slate securely fastened to her belt again. Kiyah looked back at her, holding her hand out towards the girl, "It's alright Link, you're safe here."

"Link?" a voice called out as Paya helped her grandmother down the stairs from the loft area where the two had been hiding, "Kiyah, did I hear you right just now?" Link could see her then, the older tiny Sheikah woman, who looked so _much_ older then her own grandmother. The older Sheikah woman locked eyes with Link and there was something sad in those eyes. It reminded Link so much of her own grandmother then, that she suddenly felt a feeling of homesickness rise in her stomach. She had been trying not to think that much of her home since this whole thing had happened.

Paya helped her grandmother into her seat as the three approached them, "Elder Impa." Cado spoke, looking at the girl beside him, "To be honest, I'm not sure how this has happened, but this girl-"

"I see it Cado," Impa spoke quietly, "she has the sword that seals the darkness. And.." her eyes drifted down to the girls belt, "and a Sheikah slate too. Although that one looks much different then the one I knew a century ago."

Link's arms tightened around the scabbard. She must look so small compared to all the taller Sheikah around her, carrying a blade that was almost as big as she was. She couldn't help but feelt guilty. She had been warned to keep the blade and slate hidden, and not even a day later four people already knew about it. Five, including the old man. And the Koroks too she supposed.

Beside her, Kiyah rubbed at her injured arm where the boko club had smashed into it. On her forearm, just under her traditional Sheikah outfit a bruise starting to form, "Kiyah." Paya called out, looking at her, "You're i-injured."

"Oh, I'll be alright lady Paya." but the teenager had already headed back to the loft to get medical supplies and Cado helped Kiyah sit down, her back pressed to the wall as he lifted the sleeve.

Link stepped forwards towards Impa, "Still," she murmured, "the fact that the sword still exists is a miracle in of itself. I believed it to be lost in Hyrule Castle, along with its previous owner." locking eyes with Link again, "Cado said your name was.. Link, right?"

Link nodded, supposing it was best to tell the whole story now that she was here. She didn't want to be quiet anymore, she had been mute enough as it was in her young life, "My name is Link and I am from Lurelin Village. I was brought to the Korok Forest, given this slate and taught how to use it, then instructed to take this sword." releasing her hands around the blade, she held the still sheathed blade out by its hilt, placing the tip of it against the floor. Link knew the blade had been big, but didn't realise just how much until the two of them were side by side like this, the blade coming half way between her shoulder and elbow. Link removed the Sheikah slate from her belt, handing it over to the elderly Sheikah woman. The voice that had spoken to her back in the forest was silent now, had been ever since she had teleported away from the forest, but Link couldn't help but feel like it would disapprove of her actions, as Impa took the slate. "I was also told I had to go to four places, that I had to activate four mechanical creations the ancient Sheikah built."

Impa gave a small gasp as she looked at the slate in her hands, "The Divine Beasts."

Link nodded again, "But.. I have no idea how to get to those places. This slate is damaged, it doesn't even have a map. I've never even been out of the Faron region until yesterday. I don't know where I'm going, I'm not sure why I was brought here of all places. I don't know what I'm supposed to be _doing_." her voice sounded more desperate then she wanted it to and her free hand balled into a fist by her side. She was trying not to cry. "But I know.. that just by being here, I put your village in danger."

Kiyah made a move to try and get up, but Cado held her down as Paya rubbed elixir and ointment into the bruise on her arm. All three Sheikah were looking at Link as she bowed forward, squeezing her eyes shut, "I'm so sorry, village elder."

"Child." Impa spoke quietly, looking up from the slate at the girl in front of her, "You have nothing to apologise for. It seems we should be the one apologising to you instead." standing up from her seat, she slowly walked over to the taller Hylian girl in front of her. Impa tapped at the screen on the slate, but it didn't activate. She nodded, seemingly having guessed that would happen, handing the slate back to Link, covering her hands with her own. "Not just for our own inactions, but on behalf of our ancestors who gave you such an impossible task."

Impa's eyes grew stricken as she looked at the girl in front of her, a girl who looked _so_ much like her predecessor, holding the blade just like he had when he had been called to the forest around the same age as she was now. "It wasn't enough that we lost all of our Champions in the castle, the Divine Beasts they wielded a century ago deactivated even after all this time, but also our king, and our _pr-princess_ too." Impa couldn't help but stutter a little as she thought of the girl who had worked so hard to awaken her sealing power, all for nothing. "But on top of that, the four of us Sheikah who had been outside the castle walls when the Calamity struck.. we ran."

"Grandmother.." Paya got up from where she had been, rushing to her grandmother's side, holding at her. Impa shook terribly, her hands covering her mouth. She couldn't bear to look at Link any longer, "G-grandmother.." Paya looked down at the older woman, "t-there was nothing you could have done. You.. and auntie Purah, as well as Robbie and his brother.. all four of you would have d-died too."

"We knew that when we left." Impa continued, "However, there were things we didn't know back then. That the Champions had taken control of the Hyrulean army after the king had died, had instructed half of them them to arm themselves with the weapons that Robbie had created, and the other half to evactuate the town. It was thanks to their brave efforts that so many Hylians living in castle town and the surrounding settlements survived and fled to Hateno, Akkala and Hebra." Link couldn't help but think of her grandmother back in Lurelin, and the stories her father had told her when she was little, a strange feeling blossomed in her as she heard Impa speak about the castle town evacuation. But she buried the thoughts as she focused back on the elder Sheikah who continued to speak, "We Sheikah have been living with the consequences of what we did back then, and that grief has passed down to our descendents and the villagers living here today, even if they do not fully understand why." Impa clasped her hands today, "So I feel I must apologise to you Link, for Kakariko Village lost its hope far too long ago."

* * *

Above Kakariko Village, not too far from the fairy fountain, a cloud of red talismans and smoke appeared shrouded by the trees and the Yiga blademaster stretched out as he stood up tall, holding onto the hilt of his windcleaver. Peering out from trees at the village below, he murmured to himself probably a bit too coldly, "This place hasn't changed at all I see." still.. he thought, as he looked over the out of place trampled vegetable patches (well, trampled more then they would have been ordanarily), _something_ had happened here recently. That's when he spotted it, a faint blue glow out of the corner of his mask. Pulling his hood down and removing the mask a moment to make sure he wasn't seeing things ( _it was safe, there was no-one around_ he steeled himself), the blademaster walked towards the glowing light. That was when he saw it, the shrine, previously deactivated now glowed in both shades of blue and orange. Had he been any ordinary mere blademaster or footsoldier, perhaps he would have felt thrilled and excited, but as he looked at the shrine, he could feel nothing but dread fill him. The Yiga blademaster had to find out just _what_ was going on in this village that he had left so long ago, teleporting away again.

* * *

"Link, I believe you should go to Hateno Village." Impa was back in her own seat, having gained composure of herself, "My sister Purah lives there. She does research on ancient Sheikah technology and the Sheikah slate in particular. If there's anyone who can help repair the damaged runes, it would be her."

"Wait," Link looked down at the slate back securely on her belt, her eyebrows burrowing a little. Through the small windows of Impa's home, the sun began to slowly raise in the sky. The battle had taken most of the night, and the early hours of the day had been whittled away as they had talked. "If that truly was the case, would I have not been sent there first?"

Cado suddenly had an idea, and he jumped up, "Excuse me, elder Impa?" he looked at Link, "You said you were teleported to the shrine up at the top of the village, were you not?" Link nodded at that, and Cado continued. "It was said that that the shrine housed a combat trial for the hero, to teach secret ways of fighting." Cado laughed a little, rubbing at his neck, "Not like you need it though Link, it was amazing how you fought those monsters back there!"

Link blinked, confused, "What do you mean?"

Kiyah and Cado looked at each other, stunned, and then Kiyah spoke up. "When you fought the bokoblins and the moblin back at the gate. You were doing all kind of amazing maneuvers I had never seen before."

"I don't.." Link struggled to think. She remembered seeing the bokoblins and the moblin, that was true but.. "I'm sorry, I don't really remember that." Kiyah could tell she wasn't lying, those green eyes wide and confused. All four Sheikah in the house looked at each other and Cado quickly regained his compusure, "Well, that's all the more reason why you should take the combat trial. You said you were brought here for a reason, perhaps our ancient ancestors wanted to prepare you for the road ahead."

Link looked down at the blade by her side. It was possible, she had been teleported right there at the shrine after all, just before she met Cottla. When she had appeared in Korok Forest, the old man had told her she had been on the sword pedestal, so it was possible to be teleported elsewhere not just where shrines were. It was very possible that the shrine was where she had meant to go. Tapping on the slate, she activated the rune to store the blade into it, then hid the slate back onto her belt. "Alright, I'll do the shrine and then head to Hateno."

* * *

As the three walked out of the house, Cado resuming his position as guard and Kiyah and Link walking towards Kiyah's home, Paya watched the Hylian girl walk away, her hands clasped in front of her. Impa looked towards her granddaughter, "Is everything alright Paya?"

"A-ah." Paya looked a little embarassed, glancing away, "Sorry grandmother, I just.." she looked back at where the Hylian girl had been as the doors of their home closed, "When you told me stories about the hero, I didn't think they would be so.."

"Young?"

She shook her head, biting at her lip. She reached up and rubbed her forehead a litte. Paya was a few months short of her sixteenth birthday, when she would be granted the same Sheikah eye marking as her grandmother. Impa let the conversation go, Paya was becoming more and more nervous as the date became closer, working on her chores vigourously, taking extra special care with the ancient Sheikah heirloom. For Paya, continously working helped take her mind off the circumstances. Impa certainly hadn't helped with that.

* * *

As Kiyah and Link approached Kiyah's home, the door flew open and Koko rushed into her mother's arms. "Koko, its alright.." Kiyah soothed her distraught daughter as Lasli came up to them. "How's Cottla?"

"Still sound asleep. That girl could sleep through an earthquake you know."

Kiyah laughed a little at that as Link walked passed them, detemination on her face. An idea suddenly popped into Kiyah's mind, "Oh, Link, make sure you come visit me before you leave the village. I have something I think that could help you."

Link nodded and continued her way up past the village towards the shrine as the the three Sheikah entered Kiyah's home. "Lasli, I don't want to make too much of a bother, but do you think you can watch the girls for me for a little while longer?"

Lasli glanced back at her, "I figured you were going to ask me something like, I'm not exactly sure what happened last night with that attack, but I can do that."

Koko's arms tightened around her mother and Kiyah smiled, patting her daughter on the head, "Don't worry Koko, I'll be fine."

* * *

Link approached the shrine. It was still early, and there wasn't that many people out in the village, just travelers that had left the inn to continue on with their journey. Looking over at the gate where the monsters had been, their bodies and malice having disapparated as the sun had crept higher and higher, shining down on the small village nestled between the mountains, she frowned slightly, remembering Cado's words back in the house. Taking the slate from her belt, Link placed it on the pedestal as the little circle inside the shrine lit up just like it had back in the forest, she stepped forward onto it as the elevator lowered her into the shrine.

Again, it went dark before she appeared into the small shrine, this time the elevator letting her leave, walking into the shrine with her bare feet. She had never really thought about her clothing before, but now she was acutely aware of how little she wore, the unique blue shirt her father had gifted her with its short sleeves, that had been a bit baggy on her before she had gained the slate, but now fitting snugly on her small body and the traditional Lurelin style shorts that villagers in Lurelin wore with nothing on her feet as she walked over the cold floor of the shrine (Lurelin villagers didn't wear shoes after all, living on a beach). Unlike the shrine back in the forest which had had some sort of puzzle, this was a large empty room with two chests on both side of her. While two of the chests faced each other neatly and parallel, the other two chests in the shrine had seemingly been cobbled together quickly, at odd angles. That's when Link, spotted him. The Sheikah monk stood just behind the very center of the shrine as he looked back towards her, and she suddenly swallowed nervously, the irises of her eyes glowing a faint blue as she looked into the imposing red Sheikah eye painted on the covering on the monk's face.

"Ah, you're here finally. I was worried you had gotten lost." as Link reached for the slate to pull out the blade from it, he shook his head and gestured at the four chests instead, "You cannot just rely on the sword that seals the darkness. It had been too damaged over the past century, you must wait for it to recover from time to time, but worry not hero. When you need of the sword in your most desperate times, she will answer you call."

Link nodded. That feeling was back, like back in the shrine in the forest. She felt like she was floating as she approached the two shrines to the left of her. Her eyes glowing a little brighter, the placed the slate towards one of the chests, seemingly on autopilot as it opened. Inside was a blade exactly like Kiyah's (an eightfold blade, her mind answered). In the other chest, a bow like Cado's (phrenic bow). Turning to the other chests on the right side of the room, she found a shield in one of them (shield of the mind's eye) and a quiver with a bundle of arrows in the other. Carefully she equipped all the items to her person, feeling automatically that she knew how each item was held. Strangely enough, with all the items equipped, they felt heavier somehow then the blade currently stored in the slate, despite it being larger then all of them. She approached the monk again, now fully equipped.

"Yes, well done hero." he nodded approvingly, "I am Ta'loh Naeg, and I will teach you the ways of combat. Now," he raised his arm towards the center of the shrine in front of her, "let's begin, shall we?" there was a creaking sound as the platform in the center was raised and Link's hands tightened on her weapons.

Then the floating feeling inside her evaporated in a second, becoming fully aware of where she was and what was going on as she stared into the glowing eye of a guardian and heard the whirring sound of it around her. Link collapsed in terror, dropping all the weapons she had been carrying, her arms covering her head she crawled into a ball, memories flashing back in an instant, paralyzing her with fear.

* * *

_There were running out of food for the village, and their usual fishing spot Aris Beach was surrounded by monsters yet again. "Please, don't go too far." Rozel had pleaded, but Link's father had been stubborn. He had always been like that._

_"You all welcomed me into this village with open arms, I won't let you all go hungry."_

_"I'm coming with you." her mother had insisted. He could never deny her, and so the three of them, Link included, had gotten into a boat and gone far past their usual fishing village spots, to a place called Martha's Landing. It was very early in the day, the sun had just started to rise when the three of them had left the village, more then plenty of time to get a whole good few buckets of fish and head back to the village before the sun descended. And there weren't too many monsters here all things considered especially compared to Aris Beach, Link's father had commented how lucky they were ("You fool, you damn fool." Kass had sobbed out later on.) and her parents had got to work, using their spears to grab as much fish as possible._

_Link's father had called her up and she followed after him excitedly as he handed her a spear of her own that was even bigger then her, the first time she had carried one, pointing out a particuarly big porgy in the water and Link carefully circled the unsuspecting fish, burrowed in concentration before she lunged the spear into the water. There was a small struggle, but evantually Link proudly held the spear above as the porgy flailed on its tip, "Look! Mama, papa, I got it!" Loud. Too loud._

_"Well done Link." her mother had called out, as she continued fishing, and Link swam back to the boat, climbing into it as she removed the porgy from the spear, adding the fish to the ones they had already caught in the bucket.So much fish. The village could have a feast of paella tonight._

_That's when she had heard it. The mechanical whirring from the west over the Komo Shoreline. Her mother had screamed first and Link had pushed her head out of the boat, just to see the mechanical monstrosity crawling towards them on the beach with its long thin legs. It glowed a dark sickly red, and Link, despite having never seen a guardian before, knew exactly what it was from her father's and Kass' stories of their times travelling Hyrule._

_"Link!!" her father screamed at her. Her parents were too far away from the boat, huddled together on the beach as the guardian moved way too quickly towards them. He had a fisherman's shield in his other hand, as his wife hid behind him, clinging to his back. Link still remembered the look on her face, tears running down it as she trembled. "Get your head down back in the boat!!" her father screamed at her, "Don't get back up, no matter what happens!!"_

_"Papa!!" Link cried out helplessly as she reached her hand out towards the two, but she couldn't move, her legs frozen. That glowing eye was focused on her parents now, as a red laser appeared, the guardian still approaching._

_"Link." she heard her mother call to her, as her father ran forward towards the guardian, terror on his face, the shield raised in front of him. Her mother looked back at her, the two locking eyes. Her mother was smiling, even as tears still ran down her face. "Listen to your papa. We love you so much Link, don't ever forget that."_

_Link couldn't help but obey after that, shoving her head back down and pressing her whole body down into it the boat, as the sounds of laser beams and screams filled the beach. Before an unbearable quietness pierced it, only punctauted by the sound of the whirring from the guardian stalker as its legs crawled around the beach. Link continued to stay very still, following her parents orders, not even letting herself cry just in case it alerted the guardian to her presence. She wasn't sure how long she had stayed there for, long before she realised the whirring had vanished, she continued to follow her parents request, keeping her head down her body pressed to the bottom of the boat. Until she heard the sounds of other boats in coming towards her._

_"Link!! Link!!" She could hear them, the calls of the other villagers as they approached the boat._

_Please. Please, be quiet! Link desperately thought as she clung to the boat. What if the guardian heard them and came back?_

_"Oh Goddess, oh no.." she heard one of the boats approaching the shore as another boat came to her, then all of a sudden elder Rozel was there, climbing into the boat beside her. "Link, there you are, thank the Goddess you're okay."_

_She remembered her face being wet (when had that happened?) as she was pulled into his arms. She could see the sun lowering into the sky, the sky turning orange as it slowly sank beneath the clouds. And beneath her in the waters of Martha's Landing.. Link froze as a choked sob escaped her, Rozel holding her face to his chest, but she had already seen it, the blood soaked waters from her parent's bodies surrounding the small boat._

* * *

"Hero. _Hero. Link._ " She became aware of Ta'loh Naeg again in the shrine. He was leaning down over her, one hand pressed to her shoulder. Behind them, the guardian had been deactivated, no longer glowing. "I forgot, you are a child of this current world of Hyrule. To see a guardian, even one that is uncorrupted by the Calamity, must have filled you with great fear." he stood back up, holding his large Sheikah hat to his head, and looking back at the small guardian. "I suppose we will have to alter our shrines even further and take the combat trials out all together. What a waste of the shrines we developed."

Link sat back up to a sitting position, taking a good luck at the deactivated guardian in the center of the room. Now that she saw it clearly, it was different from the stalkers out in Hyrule. It had arms for one and had been carrying a blue weapon that was now laying on the floor of the shrine. The monk walked over to the guardian, picking up the weapon from the ground. "I supposed it can't be helped." he raised his arm and the platform lowered, taking the guardian back down into the lower part of the shrine, "I will teach you myself."

* * *

"Steen, _please_." Kiyah begged as Koko and Cottla ran around the center of the village where a full colour blue horse with a white snout and white ankle hair was grazing lightly on the grass.

"For the last time Kiyah, I will not have that old horse anywhere near my carrot patch!"

"But its the only stable in the whole village! It won't be for long, I promise, I'll even watch over him for you. He'll be gone back to Dueling Peaks stable in the morning."

In the distance, the orange part of the shrine glowed blue as Link came back up to the village. Kakariko was bustling with villagers and travellers now. Thankfully it seems no-one had noticed the shrine up top of the village. She did wonder though, as she looked back at the shrine: Link had been told to keep the existance of the slate and the sword a secret, but surely people would notice if more of these ancient shrines started to activate, right? With the slate securely hidden on her belt, all of the weapons she had gotten in the shrine stored in it, Link slowly made her way back down to the village, passing the tall tree by Kiyah's home.

"Link!" Koko called out to her, running up. The elder Sheikah child looked more excited then Link had ever seen her as she pulled Link towards the center of the village, and Link couldn't help but smile as she followed the girl. Then she saw the horse, and Link's eyes lit up. She had seen horses before of course, but only from afar as travellers came into the village. Horses were a rare occurence in Lurelin, and she had never seen one up this close. (She remembered the stable she had visited when she was little then, but it had been so late she had been put to bed as soon as they had gotten there. And they had left first thing in the morning for Lurelin to get back as soon as possible.)

Steen grumbled as he walked past the pumpkin patch, Olkin grinning at him as he cleaned up his own patch from the night before. "You be quiet Olkin, worry about your own vegetables why don't you."

Link reached out hesitantly and Kiyah nodded as she touched the horse's snout. It was such an obedient horse, not even caring as Cottla placed flowers on his mane, "Oh.. he's beautiful." she whispered, petting at the horse's mane.

Kiyah smiled, "He's named Firly, after the Firly Plateau not too far from Hateno where I caught him. If anyone knows the path between Hateno and Kakariko the best, it would be Firly here. So I wanted to lend him to you." Link stared at her, and she smiled, "If you leave first thing in the morning, you can get to Hateno long before its dark. On foot, its a two day trip at least."

"Kiyah.." Link held at her arm, feeling embarassed, "You've done so much for me already.."

Kiyah continued, "And that's not all. I've spoken to Claree in the armour shop, and she's going to make a stealth armour set for you." Link startled at that. A whole set of armour for her? That must've cost so much rupees?! Link felt her face become hot. This.. this was too much, they had barely met a day ago and Kiyah.. Kiyah was so much like.. Link's mother's face came to mind. Looking after Link when she was sick, cooking her favourite seafood paella, reading stories to her when she couldn't sleep.. Link looked over at Kiyah's smiling face and despite herself, she couldn't say no. "Thank you Kiyah.."

And then, the peaceful quiet of the village was suddenly torn by a scream from the direction of Impa's house. "Elder Impa! Lady Paya!" Cado went running up the stairs immediately as all the villagers crowded around the front of the house, murmuring amongst themselves. Link however remained with Firly. Most of the villagers here didn't know who she was, it would be suspicious if she crowded around with the Sheikah villagers. A few moments later, Cado left the house again, "It's all alright, everyone, just a false alarm." and the villagers seemed hesitant for a moment, before returning to their homes.

Cado however, came pacing up to Link and Kiyah, "Can you both come with me?"

* * *

When Link walked into the Impa's home yet again for the second time that day, they found Paya sobbing on the floor. Kiyah rushed forward to her, "Lady Paya!"

"K-Kiyah.. what am I to do?" Paya sobbed as she looked behind her. Link saw it then, the only thing missing since last night. There had been an orb behind where Paya was sitting, right next to Impa's seat. It was now missing. "I.. I don't understand." Paya sobbed desperately, "The heirloom, it had been here just a few hours ago, I checked on it and everything! How did someone get into this house _in the middle of the day_ like this and take it?"

Kiyah's fingers tightened a little around Paya's shoulders and Cado and Impa looked at each other. Link however, stepped forward, kneeling to Paya's level and looking at the Sheikah girl. This village had done so much for her already and it was time to return the favour. "Paya? I've been called a hero by many people, but.. to be honest, I don't feel like one. I never have been. But.. your village has been so kinda to me. And I know you don't know me, but.. I want to help. I'll stay here, for as long as it help find your heirloom."

"But.. Hateno." Paya said weakly through her sobs, her eyes focused on Link.

Link shook her head, "I have all the time to get there. Those Divine Beasts aren't going anywhere any time soon. If I'm really supposed to be a hero, I can't just walk away if someone is suffering right in front of me." she reached her hand out to Paya smiling, and the Sheikah girl suddenly became very aware of how bright and green her eyes were. Paya couldn't help but blush a little, and she reached out for Link's hand, "Thank you.. Link."

* * *

Later that evening, with Paya asleep in her bed and Link sitting in the chair in the little loft room, having stayed with her all day, Link looked down at the new clothing that had been delivered earlier as it fit on her. The dark blue outfit was probably the most comfortable outfit Link had ever worn in her life, it fit so well on her body it was almost like the slate had fixed it to her exact size itself. Even the somewhat bulky shoulder pads and leg pads barely weighed a thing, It even still felt like she had nothing on her feet, despite the tights covering the entire area around them. She supposed that just showed how serious the Sheikah took their outfits.

Link especially like the snug mask around around her mouth, although she had discarded the scarf and the sticks that were used for holding up her hair for now, storing them into the slate for safe keeping. Her hair was still short for now so it was unncecessary to use them, yet she wasn't sure how long she would be on this journey for, so if her hair grew too long she could always use them in the future.

As Link stood up and walked over the floor of the loft, she was amazed that her footsteps were so light. No, not just light. She didn't even make a sound as she walked a little faster each time, testing how quiet the outfit truly was. She would have to thank Kiyah again for this gift. With the outfit and the horse, getting to Hateno would be the easiest thing yet in her journey when she was ready to leave.

Looking over at Paya's sleeping form, Link felt a swell of pride in her. She and Paya had been talking all day long. The Sheikah girl had really opened up to her today. For the first time, she truly felt like the hero people kept calling her, even if it was just for one girl's sake.

Still Link thought as she walked downstairs, now that she was thinking about it, she actually had _no idea_ where to start looking for this heirloom that was so important to Paya. She had asked about the heirloom, what it was for and who had been around recently and Paya had answered all of her questions.

( _"Do you think it could have been a traveler?"_

_"No, Cado would never let anybody just wander in here and neither would any of the previous guards before him. I think you're first Hylian to enter this house in a century Link."_

_Link hesitantly asked, "Do.. do you think it was someone in the village?" even as she already knew the answer herself._

_"No, never!" Paya cried out. "I trust all the villagers with my life! And they all know how important the heirloom is to our village."_ )

It made no sense. They _had_ been here all last night, and the heirloom had been safe then. So really, someone had to have taken it in the middle of the day, however impossible that seemed. It had to have been someone who knew the schedules of all the villagers to be able to get in and out so quickly. So, a villager, would make the most sense. But Link trusted Paya's word, and even if she hadn't she somehow trusted all the other villagers too. They seemed like good people, if a little distant. Burrowing her eyebrows in confusion, Link decided to leave the house for a bit of fresh air.

"Ahh.. Link." Impa called out to her.

"Elder Impa?" Link turned to her.

"Please, just call me Impa." Link nodded, walking over to her, "Thank you, for staying with my granddaughter today. You've made quite an impression on this village in the last few days." she smiled, "Even the other villagers are asking about you now. Claree was wondering why Kiyah had dropped almost 2000 rupees for you when she dropped off your stealth gear earlier."

"Ah, is that bad?" she couldn't help but be worried. "I was supposed to be keeping all of this secret." her eyes drifted to the Sheikah slate hidden under her stealth armour.

"Don't worry Link, your secret is safe with the four of us. Still.." Impa looked a little sadended, "I haven't seen Sheikah take to an outsider like this, since, well.. your predecessor I suppose." And she remembered then herself, Purah and Robbie.

"My..?"

"The Hylian Champion who carried the sword that seals the darkness, much like you do now."

Link remembered now. "You mentioned him before. You said that he died in the castle, that you believed the sword to be lost too."

Impa nodded, "The last I had heard was when the Champions and our princess returned from the Spring of Wisdom up on Mount Lanayru. He had the sword then with him. What happened between the Calamity attacking and you getting the sword is a mystery." Impa clasped her hands together in her lap, "And to think, your name is the same as well."

"What do you mean?"

"Our Champion's name. It was the same as yours: 'Link'."

* * *

Link breathed in the cold Kakariko air as she stood outside, leaning against the wooden fencing surrounding Impa's house. Slowly and surely she was getting used to Kakariko's coldness. It was colder then her home of Lurelin, but it was still managable. Kass had previously told her of Rito Village and how he had described the place made her shudder. It would be much warmer for the Rito tribe, but for her the sound of that place especially compared to how warm Lurelin was, sounded, well, _awful_. No offense Kass. But Kakariko.. Link pressed her face against her arms her eyes roaming over the village and its villagers, this place was nice, and the people were so kind. She just hoped her grandmother's home Hateno was just as nice when she finally reached there.

She had been wanting to come outside anyway, but hearing that back there from Impa.. ( _"Our Champion's name. It was the same as yours: 'Link'."_ ) Link couldn't help but shiver a little at that. Is that why she had been chosen to be the hero by the Sheikah monks? Because she had shared the name of their long lost dead hero? She didn't really want to think about it to be honest.

Standing up straight, Link turned to re-enter Impa's home when she spotted Kiyah out of the corner of her eye, the Sheikah woman leaving her home, shuttering the door. Link watched as Kiyah looked around the village, and then began to quickly stride up past the tree right next to her home, towards the shrine at the top of village and Link, her hand still on the door, watched her go. Even from all the way back here, she could see the distressed look on the woman's face as her stride broke out into a run.

Link jolted from where she had been frozen. It seemed the few villagers left outside hadn't noticed Kiyah and she stepped backwards away from the door, walking down the bridge. Cado was still at his guard position, but he looked extrodanarily tired. Between the monster attack from the other night and now the Sheikah heirloom being stolen, he probably hadn't had much sleep. It probably didn't help that Link was wearing such sound muffling clothing either, he probably hadn't even _heard_ her walk past him.

Link continued on the path Kiyah had walked, up towards the shrine she had been in earlier and then past it into the forest behind the village where she had played with Cottla. She looked toward the fairy fountain, but it seemed Kiyah hadn't gone that way, so she followed the right path up to a pond with a bridge in front of it, spotting Kiyah as she walked over the bridge. There, Link saw it. Another ancient Sheikah pedestal, like the two back in Lurelin with the puzzle she had solved. Much like the one from Lurelin, this pedestal was also deactivated though.

Kiyah seemed to brace herself, before stepping off the bridge. "I know you're here." she called out to the seemingly empty clearing and Link stepped backwards, quickly hiding behind a tree. Was Kiyah calling out to her? "Please, come out! I know you took the heirloom!" Kiyah clasped her hands together, " _Dorian!_ "

The mood shifted immediately and there was a flash of red smoke. Then in front of Kiyah, stood an impossibly tall man (taller then even the old man back in Korok Forest) clothed in red and wearing a white mask. Grasping at the slate hidden amongst the stealth armor, Link quickly retrieved the eightfold blade. "You shouldn't go calling out someone's name like that, Kiyah." the man spoke, looking down at the Sheikah woman in front of him. "What if you were followed, what if someone were to hear you?"

"I.. I wasn't followed." Kiyah's voice trembled, then she steeled herself, looking up at him fiercely, "Why Dorian? You know how important that Sheikah heirloom is to Lady Paya. Why now, after all this time?"

"You mean this thing?" there was another flash, and then the heirloom was there laying in the palm of one of his hands. Kiyah choked out, her hands balling into fists at her side. She hadn't wanted to believe it was true until she saw the heirloom in his hand. Looking at the fierce expression in her eyes, Dorian chuckled darkly, "Don't worry Kiyah, I don't intend on keeping this thing, I have no need for it. And you're right, it is important to the young lady, is it not?" turning his back to her, he approached the deactivated pedestal, "But to answer your question Kiyah, I borrowed it to test a hypothesis."

Leaning over towards the pedestal, he placed the heirloom into the slot and Kiyah ran forward, "No! What are you doing?!" Nothing happened, but Kiyah pushed him out of the way anyways and Dorian fell back allowing her to pull the heirloom up herself and walking back with it, looking at him horrified. "Why would you _do_ that?!" she was now glaring at him hotly with angered eyes, "I know you've never cared much for your Sheikah ancestary Dorian, but desecrating this ancient site, the man I knew would never stoop so low!" she held the heirloom tighter, "This shrine is meant for the hero, not for us!"

"The hero." Dorian repeated coldly and Kiyah felt her blood chill. Oh no. She had just made a horrendous mistake. "The hero is _dead_ Kiyah, in case you have forgotten."

"I.. I know that."

Dorian was suddenly walking towards her and Kiyah dropped the heirloom as it rolled past her feet. She was suddenly accutely aware of how tall he was, the windcleaver fastened to his side. "When.. when did you finish your blademaster training?" she asked quietly, clasping her hands together and placing them on her mouth, as she looked away from him. There were tears welling up in her eyes, and she willed herself not to cry.

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

"No." Kiyah admitted, "Koko still asks about you, you know." Dorian froze in his steps. "Cottla doesn't even _know_ who you are. But I do." looking at him, Kiyah stepped forward again, taking one of his large hands in her own small ones. "Kiyah.." there was an almost pleading sound in his voice, as he struggled to regain control, "You leave gemstones for us in front of our tree where you know only I will find them. I find cooking ingredients in our chest that weren't there before. And so many rupees in the dresser, that I don't even know what to do them half the time!"

Kiyah looked up into the white mask, speaking quietly and Link leaned forward a little, struggling to hear, while also feeling terribly guilty. "You don't have to _stay_ there Dorian, just to provide for us, I _know_ you hate it there. You told as me as much yourself."

"You don't understand Kiyah." Dorian pleaded. "That's not why I left at all-"

_CRACK._

Both Kiyah and Dorian froze and Link looked down horrified. She had stepped on a tree branch, the loud noise breaking through the quietness of the forest. The tall man turned slowly towards her, the white mask staring at her form hidden behind the tree.

When Kiyah saw Link she let out a loud painful noise, rushing forward to grab at Dorian's hands, "Dorian, Dorian, wait-"

But it was too late, Dorian made a quick signal with his hand as a box of blue energy formed itself around Kiyah, cutting off her voice as she was trapped inside it. He reached for his windcleaver and charged at Link who staggered back, pulling out the eightfold blade and raising it as the two blades clashed together, sparks flying. Dorian fell back, trying an attack from a different angle, and Link, remembering her training back at the shrine, waited until he was just right in front of her, before dodging to the left. As Dorian staggered forward, Link quickly tapped the slate again, this time pulling out the shield she had stored earlier.

The Yiga blademaster turned to face her just as she had managed to hide the slate again. "Sheikah stealth clothing," he muttered darkly, "An eightfold blade _and_ a shield of the mind's eye? Are you trying to mock me, Hylian?" he charged for another attack, and this time Link parried it, smashing the shield into the hilt of the windcleaver. Dorian staggered back yet again, and Link thrust forward with the eightfold blade before stopping in her tracks right before the blade hit its mark. This wasn't a mindless monster, this was a _person_.

Pulling back, Link darted behind the trees as the blademaster struggled to gain his footing again, "Please, I don't want to fight you!" Link called out from behind the trees. Dorian practically growled in response, swinging his windcleaver in the direction of the voice, the wind releasing from the weapon and knocking down one of the trees that Link had just barely run from, "Well that's unfortunate for _you_."

Dorian circled around, focusing his magic, trying to sense the Hylian. It was so dark and the Hylian was hiding behind the trees like a coward. He hadn't even seen the Hylian's face at all. All he knew was that he (and Kiyah and his daughters) were in grave danger. If word ever got out that a Yiga blademaster had been here in Kakariko.. if that news _ever_ got back to the hideout.. Dorian didn't even want to think what would happen. He couldn't let that happen. Kiyah was still banging on the energy barriers that he had surrounded her with (a new rune magic that the Master had taught him not long ago, it was _supposed_ to be used a shield, but he had figured out he could use it this way too) he could see the terror in her eyes. She was just as fearful of this getting out as he was. Calamity, he was such a sentimental fool to come here. He should have ignored the shrine, like he had back at the hideout when that footsoldier told him about the pedestal. It meant nothing, it _had_ to mean nothing.

He whipped around at a sudden sound, raising his windcleaver as an arrow shot at him. Now the Hylian was trying to snipe him from the trees? How pathetic. "Get out here, _Hylian_." he growled, "Are you trying to play some sort of hero? Saving the poor Sheikah damsel from the evil Yiga blademaster?" He wouldn't let the Hylian escape. Even if it meant murdering a seemingly innocent Hylian in front of the mother of his children. Another arrow shot at him and he released a blade of wind, breaking the arrow in two before it ever got anywhere near him. Holding his windcleaver in front of him, he continued to circle around, getting more frustated the longer this went.

Then he suddenly heard another loud crack and lunged torward the sound, slashing his windcleaver through the trees. But there was nothing there. "What?!" Dorian spun around and spotted the Hylian on top of the energy box he had made, reaching out and touching the top of it. And for a second, if only for a moment, he thought he had seen a flash of blue. Then he watched in horror as the shield surrounding Kiyah released itself.

"How.. how did you do that?!"

"Please, please Dorian, just listen to me!" Kiyah cried as she ran towards him, "We're safe, everything is fine, please _just listen_!!" But Dorian didn't have the time, signaling with his hands he teleported behind Kiyah, raising his windcleaver again as he brought it down on the Hylian. he had no idea who this Hylian was, but they were more dangerous then he could ever dreamed of. It had to be a fellow Yiga in disguise. It was the only thing that made sense.. but.. he couldn't sense Yiga magic surrounding them. Either way, he had to take them out _now_.

But then, suddenly, a blade much larger then the eightfold blade the Hylian had had before crashed into his own blade, and it was so powerful that he was thrown back, his own windcleaver falling from his hands as he ragdolled into the ground and fell backwards even further, his mask smashing into the ground and falling off and staggering desperately before finally falling into the pond behind him.

Kiyah rushed towards Link as she breathed heavily, on one knee with the sword that seals the darkness blazing in front of her. "Link, are you alright?"

"I'm fine Kiyah." Link panted, trying to get her breath back. In front of them, Dorian pulled himself out of the pond, dripping water all over the ground. His hood was still up and Link and Kiyah couldn't see his face. But he could see the sword the Hylian had. Of course, Dorian recognised it instantly. "That.. that sword." He didn't want to believe it. "That's impossible."

Kiyah rushed up towards him, her eyes glistening, "See, I told you! I know, you don't have to explain why you left. But.. everything's okay now. The hero is here, she's alive!"

Dorian stared at Kiyah dumbfoundedly before looking more closely at the Hylian, and then realising in an instant, horrified. "A.. child?" Was he really so tall now that he hadn't realised he was fighting a child? "But, you're barely that much older then my Ko-" he froze, stopping himself and then stood up. Kiyah rushed over to him, reaching out to take Dorian's hand, but Dorian staggered back, looking around for his mask. He spotted it broken in half on the floor and groaned weakly, raising his hands to cover his face. He couldn't let Kiyah see him like this.

"Please, Dorian." Kiyah tried reaching out for him again, but again he moved back out of her way. Behind her, the Hylian child.. the hero.. was reaching down to pick something up from the ground and then stood up herself. _A Sheikah slate._ He thought numbly. "I can explain to the village, they'll understand! They'll take you back, please just.. just come back with me."

But Dorian turned and fled, grabbing his windcleaver as he went but leaving the broken shards of his mask, as he signaled, telelporting away in a cloud of red smoke. Kiyah fell to her knees in despair as she watched him disappear into the night sky yet again.

Link stepped forward, picking up the rest of her weapons and storing them into the slate before gently reaching out and touching Kiyah on the shoulder. The Sheikah woman turned to face her, tears running down her face, "I'm sorry Link, it seems I have a lot to tell you."

"You don't have to." Link replied softly, "Not now." she turned around and picked up the heirloom. "First, I think we need to return this to Paya."

* * *

The next morning at the crack of dawn, Link was all ready to go. She had Kiyah's horse Firly, the stealth armour, all her weapons secure in the slate. She even had a map that Paya had drawn for her of the Necluda area, showing the way from Kakariko to Hateno just in case. Paya had looked so happy as she handed it over to Link, "You drew this Paya?" Link gasped, amazed.

"I-it's not that good." she stammered a little, fiddling with her hair and blushing a bit as Link took it. "But if it helps you in anyway, then that make me happy."

"Thank you, Paya." she looked back at all of them then: Kiyah, Cado, Impa and Paya. "Thank all of you so much. It's weird, I've only been here two days but.." she looked embarassed, but happy, "I'm really gonna miss this place. I hope I can come back here sometime."

"We would love to have you back here, Link, anytime." Impa said.

Waving goodbye to the four Sheikah, Link pulled on Firly's reins as the horse started to trot off towards the back entrace of the village and Paya continued to wave, running forward a little until Link had finally disappeared past back the gate.

"Kiyah." Impa, spoke quietly, so Paya wouldn't hear and Cado looked over at her sympathetically. "You and I need to talk later, alright?"

Kiyah just nodded, looking back to where Link had been, "Of course, elder Impa."


	6. Hateno Village

The clop of Firly's hooves and the rustling of the trees in the nearby Glinner Woods were the only sounds Link could hear as the old horse trotted along the path towards Hateno, the sun descending past the Cliffs of Quince, casting a shadow onto the path. Still, Link thought as the entrance gate for Hateno Village came closer and closer, even now she was still thinking of where to go next once she was done in Hateno. She had met a few travellers on the road, Hylian and Sheikah alike, who had been all too happy to help the child, showing her their own hand drawn maps of the surrounding areas and in all of their maps, one thing was adundantly clear: Zora's Domain was definetely the closest. She could probably head back to Kakariko and then head east over the swampy marshlands towards the domain.

There was the tiny Goponga Village, still standing miraculously after a century despite being the closest settlement to Central Hyrule, even if it had been mostly abandoned by the majority of it's villagers over the years, who had moved to the much safer Hateno. Still, there were a few villagers who had remained. Link could rest in the inn there for a night before heading east again towards the Domain. On foot it would be at least a week's travel just to get to Inogo Bridge right at the beginning of the Domain, if not more when taking in account time to rest and eat. She remembered then, the realisation of the daunting task in front of her as she had looked at the traveller's maps. Zora's Domain may have been the closest of the four main settlements in Hyrule, but it was still so _far away_.

As Firly trotted through the gate to the village, Link was taken aback at just how _big_ Hateno was. She always knew the village was big, it was the largest Hylian settlement still standing after the Great Calamity after all and many Hylians had settled here after escaping Central Hyrule, but seeing all the mass of houses that stood in the area, not just in the pathway leading up the village, but all around the surrounding areas with only spaces left for the rice fields dotted around them (there were even houses surrounding the nearby Zelkoa Pond), she wondered briefly why they hadn't renamed themselves as Hateno _Town_. Tradition, she supposed as Firly came to a stop and she dismounted the horse carefully.

Suddenly though, there was a Hylian brandishing a pitchfork near her. "Who are you?!" he peered over at her as she pulled the mask from the Sheikah stealth armour covering her mouth down, "Wait.. a Hylian child?" putting the pitchfork away, the Hylian man rubbed at his chin sheepishly, "Sorry for getting worked up, didn't realise you were Hylian. We Hylians are good folk, although I don't really recognise you. How did a kid like you get all the way here alone?"

"I'm from Lurelin." Link admitted, "But my grandmother was originally from Hateno so I wanted to see this place for myself."

The Hylian's eyes lit up, "You're a descendent of one of our villagers? Well, come on in then!" turning around, he called out towards another Hylian, "Seldon, hey Seldon! Come over here!"

A slightly chubby bearded Hylian bounded towards the two Hylians, "What's up Thadd?"

"Give this kid a tour of Hateno why don't you?" looking at the girl's inquisitive eyes, Thadd continued, "I can't leave my guard position, I have an important job to do for the village after all. But Seldon here fancies himself as a tour guide so he's the best man for the job to show you around the place." looking back over at Seldon, "This kid's from Lurelin."

Seldon scratched at his neck, peering at the girl, "Just like Ralera, huh." 

Link jolted at that. Ralera had been the village elder Rozel's daughter, she had been due to depart the village with her newly wed husband just before what had happened with Link's parents. They hadn't been able to delay it any longer and they had to leave regardless of what had just happened in the village. And with everything that had happened, the village hadn't even even gotten to see her off, except for Rozel himself.

"Alright, let me show you around then kid."

Following Seldon, Link held Firly's reins as the horse trotted behind them. Slowly they made their way up and down the village, showing off the shops that littered the main path of the village, as well as the inn. Thankfully there was a mini stable in front of the inn and Link paid some rupees to have Firly looked after as they continued up the village path. Finally, Seldon pointed out the at the very top the village where a tall building was, "And there's the Tech Lab. Only two Sheikah live there now." Link's heart rose. That was where she had to go it seemed. But it was too late now, the sun was setting as the sky turned orange, as the remaining villagers were heading to their homes, Seldon stretching out and yawning a little.

"Will you be staying in the inn tonight kid?"

Link nodded, thankful for the plentiful rupees that Kiyah had given her back in Kakariko. She had also bought food supplies on the path up to Hateno from various travellers she had met on the road. And that armour shop they had passed on the way seemed intriguing too. The stealth set Kiyah had bought her was comfortable sure, but a bit too out of place. She needed something to blend in more with other Hylians on the road.

"Link?!" a voice called out to her and Link turned around, coming face to face with Ralera. The once Lurelin villager's hands were placed over her mouth in shock and there were tears in her eyes, "It really is you.. I can recognise that blonde mop on your head anywhere, even wearing Sheikah clothing." Seldon quietly slipped away back down towards the village to let the two Hylians talk.

Link smiled, "Hello Ralera." The elder Hylian made a step towards her, her hands moving to Link's shoulders. She wanted to hug the child but held back, "You're talking." she whispered, amazed.

"Yeah." Link looked away a bit embarassed, "A lot's changed recently." That was a bit of an understatement.

"Your grandmother!" Ralera looked behind her, "Is she okay? Is she here with you?"

"Ah.." Link was taken aback, suddenly put on the spot. Before she had set off, she hadn't even thought of the possibility that she might have met someone she knew from Lurelin. "N-no.. she's back in Lurelin." What could she say? That she had upped and left Lurelin at just twelve years old to travel the world? Lurelin was a small knit community, the people from that village had known Link and her family the most then any other, for better and for worse.

"Link!!" A voice called out from somewhere near them, and both Link and Ralera looked up to see none other then Kass in the distance over the houses surrounding Zelkoa Pond flying towards the two. Link had never felt so relieved as she had been right there and then. She ran forward, waving out to him as he descended towards the two Hylians and as soon as his feet touched the ground, Link bounded into him.

"Thank the Goddess you're okay." Kass spoke as Link clung to him, "I was told you were heading this way but I was afraid I might have missed you."

"Kass, what's going on?"Ralera stood forward, looking confused. "Why is Link all the way out here in Hateno and not back in Lurelin?"

Kass smiled in her direction, "It's alright Ralera, Link and I were heading to Rito Village together when we were seperated in Central Hyrule thanks to a monster attack. To think that you managed to make it all the way to Hateno though, Link, I had heard you had managed to get a horse, but this.." Kass beamed, "you really have been taking the lessons I've been teaching you on our journey to heart, haven't you?"

"Rito Village?" Ralera looked stunned, "That's so far away. And Link's grandmother.. she agreed to this?"

Kass continued, looking over at the older Hylian, "Link's grandmother has come down with an illness, nothing serious I assure you, but I have heard of a rare flower that grows in the Hebra region that can be used in an elixir to help relieve the pain. I had offered to go and retrieve one for her, but Link insisted on joining me on my journey." Link looked as Kass' face as he spoke and she noted things she hadn't seen on the Rito before, how he spoke with such confidence and reassurance, even as he lied straight to Ralera's face. She felt so stunned at this new side of her father's old friend as Kass continued, "Of course, she was worried. But Link has been taking to her lessons in the wilds of Hyrule like a natural." There was a melancholy smile on his face as he continued to look at Ralera, not looking at Link herself, "She is her father's daughter after all."

Ralera looked convinced at Kass' story, if a little saddened and she nodded, "I see.." looking at Link, she placed a hand on the girl's shoulder comfortingly, "Well, I hope you're able to find that flower for your grandmother. I've never met her, she and Kass had long left Hateno by the time my husband and I had arrived here, but the villagers here spoke of her kindly. And when I get a letter from my father back in Lurelin, he always mentions the two of you, how you're getting on." Ralera smiled, "It's good to see you in such high spirits again Link. And to hear you talking again."

Kass head shot down to her as their eyes locked, and for a moment there was an air of shock in his eyes before he smiled again at Ralera before she could realise there was something wrong, "Yes, it's a miracolous thing is it not?" pulling Link with him, Kass started to walk down the village path, "Well, we must get going Ralera. We'll need to stay the night here in the inn before setting off in tomorrow."

"Oh, the inn will be packed by now. But Kass, why not head to their old house?" Ralera asked, "If you see Bolson I'm sure he would let you both in, Link's her family, and you're practically family too Kass."

"Thank you Ralera, I will make sure to do that."

After Ralera was back safely in her own house and finally Kass and Link were alone, they headed past the inn towards the new style of block like houses just up from village that Link had noticed earlier during Seldon's tour. There was an uncomfortable silence between them. "Kass.." Link found herself struggling with her words a little as the Rito sighed. "I wish Impa had told me you could talk now. But I suppose she had no context for what you were like before you before you arrived in Kakariko."

"You were at Kakariko?" Link asked, feeling more and more stunned.

"I told you before about my teacher did I not Link?" and Link looked up to the Sheikah hat, which was still on his head. Now that she thought about it, it wasn't like the stealth armour she wore, it was more like the hats the Sheikah had been wearing back in Kakariko. _Of course_ she thought to herself, not realising why she hadn't understood before. No wonder Kass had found her so quickly. He had probably flew non stop since they had departed back at Lurelin towards Kakariko. It had been an ancient Sheikah pedestal, it made sense that would be the first place he had looked.

"Yes.. you mentioned him back when we were in Lurelin." her voice cracked a little as she thought of her grandmother, "How.. how is my grandmother?"

"Not here. Wait till we get inside, " Kass whispered as he approached the door and knocked it. There was the sound of someone singing and then the door opened with a loud bang. Link jumped but Kass smiled, "Hello Bolson." In the doorway there was a middle aged bald Hylian man wearing pink trousers and a blue jacket with a yellow collar. Link hid behind Kass as Bolson leaned against the door frame, "Well well, if it isn't Kass. Didn't think I'd ever see you again. You don't call, you don't write. It's like you completely disappeared from Hyrule." Bolson frowned, crossing his arms.

Kass looked a little sheepish, "Sorry about that Bolson. This is the first time I've been in Necluda area in, well, years."

"And who's that behind you, hm?"

Link jolted, looking out from behind Kass' back, her green eyes locking onto Bolson's dark ones and his entire demeanor changed in an instant, standing up straight as he looked at her stunned. "Kass, is this..?"

Kass smiled sadly as he turned to face her, "Yes. This is Link's daughter. Her name is also Link." he glanced back at Bolson, one wing around her shoulders, "Link, this is Bolson. He was your father's childhood friend when he lived here in Hateno."

" _'Childhood friend'_ hrm." Bolson muttered, but didn't remove his eyes from Link's form, "That man always had no creativity for as long as I knew him, at least when it came to things like this. At least he could have added -son to your name.." Kass laughed a little as Bolson shook his head.

"I'm sorry Bolson, I know it's late but.. can you let us into Link's home? The inn is full and we need somewhere to stay for the night." Bolson frowned, placing his hand on his chin as he looked back outside their house and over the bridge near where these new style houses were. Link saw it then, the old house over the bridge.

"You know, I wasn't sure what to do with that place for years. _She_ told me I could do whatever I wanted with it, as she was likely was never coming back but.." Bolson popped his head back into the house, rustling around for something before finding it, "Didn't feel right you know? Knocking it down, or letting someone else move in."

Kass nodded sympathetically as Bolson closed the door of his home and the two Hylians and the Rito crossed over the bridge. Link looked up at the house. It was an old style Hateno home, compared to the newer style just across the bridge. Right next to the house was a mini stable to secure horses and in the back was an apple tree. There was also a cooking pot just outside the front of the house under a large shady tree. This was the home her grandmother had lived in and where her father had been raised. Link reached out and touched the sign in front of the house, her fingers trailing over the Hylian letters that spelled her grandmother's name..

"Link." Kass called as Bolson opened the door, "We should get inside, we'll have to be up early in the morning to get ready before we set off." Link nodded and headed inside the home with Kass while Bolson stayed by the door frame. "I'll leave you to it Kass." his eyes trailed to Link as she sat down on one of the four chairs at the table in the center of the house. "And it was nice meeting you, Link." He left the small house, the door swinging back behind him as Kass and Link were left alone again, the soft delicate lights above them warming up the home even though no-one had lived here for years ever since her grandmother had moved to Lurelin.

Link looked around the small home. There was the center area they were in now with the table and chairs, and a small bookcase to her right by the door. To the left of the door was a staircase leading up to to the loft area of the home, and beneath it a small hollowed out area that was used for storage along with two beds. She knew from her father's stories about this place that in the loft area was a third bed, which had been his own when he had lived here, the small windows up there in the loft dark with the night sky. On the walls behind them were many paintings of Hylian scenery.

Kass removed his instrument from where it had it secured under his wings, placing it on the table in front of him as he pulled a chair towards him. "Link, before we start, I want to hear from you. I only heard so much from Impa. So can you begin from when I left you in Lurelin?"

And so Link spoke, telling Kass about when she showed up in Korok Forest, meeting the old man from the Great Plateau (Kass seemed very confused about that, but said nothing letting her continue the story), getting the Sheikah slate (he had asked to see it then and she placed it on table so he could see, his eyes unreadable as he looked at the ancient piece of Sheikah tech), pulling the sword ( _"Do you want to see that too?" she had asked Kass, albeit reluctantly, but he shook his his head._ ) then being sent to Kakariko and her conversation with Impa, before being told to come here to Hateno (she conveniently left out the stuff regarding Kiyah and the heirloom. That was Kiyah's own personal struggle after all, and it didn't feel right to tell Kass about it) but she did mention how a kind Sheikah had lent Link her horse temporarily to get here. When she finished her story, she spoke out quietly, "And.. my grandmother Kass? Is she.. alright?"

Kass let out a a small hm, "Well, alright as she _could_ be I suppose." he handed her a bowl of meat and rice he had prepared with the ingredients she had gotten earlier as she had been telling him her story. "The village flew into a panic when you disappeared. They stopped letting travellers into the village for a good day as they tried to figure out what had happened to you." That was unusual; a small village like Lurelin relied heavily on its trade with travellers. Link picked at the bowl, nibbling slowly from it. "For now, they're trying to continue on as normal, but I left for Kakariko as soon as I possibly could. I met up with Impa there, who was a friend of my teacher. She was hesitant to tell me much, but when I mentioned I had just come from Lurelin, she mentioned you and told me you were on your way to Hateno."

"So you flew directly from Kakariko to Hateno." Link chewed at her food, not really tasting it at all now. "You must have been exhausted looking for me Kass."

The Rito minstrel leaned back in the too small chair for his large Rito body, "I've flown longer over much larger distances before. It's not that much of a strain on me."

"And you came up with that story to Ralera on the spot."

Ah. Kass looked away at that, "With how secretive Impa was about the whole thing, it was a struggle just getting _any_ information out of her at all. It was only when I mentioned I had known you for your entire life that she relented and told me it was imperative that as little people knew about you and what had transpired as possible." Kass wouldn't look her in the eyes. "Of course, we will have to let Purah know when we go visit her tomorrow at the tech lab if she's to look at your slate and hopefully restore it."

That hadn't been an explanation of _how_ he had come up with that story right on the spot, but Link nodded either way. The old man. Kiyah. Cado. Impa. Paya. Kass, and from tomorrow: this Purah lady. More and more people were learning her secret and it had barely been a few days since she had gotten this slate. Putting the half eaten bowl on the table, Link picked up the device and looked at the deactivated screen. Would the ancient Sheikah that had given it to her be disappointed in her for letting so many people find out?

"And I've been thinking, about your goals of course." Kass pushed everything on the table to one side as he pulled out a large scroll from beneath his wing, unfolding it and opening it up on the table. Link's jaw dropped as the _biggest_ most complete hand drawn map of Hyrule she had ever seen was in front of her. It wasn't 100% complete of course, like the one she had seen in the shrine in Korok Forest, even somone like Kass couldn't do an entire map all by himself. The four most farthest reaches of Hyrule weren't complete, neither was a good chunk of Eldin as well as the forest where she had been just a few days earlier. Still, she easily spotted three of the four areas the monks had told her she needed to go. And it was pretty obvious where Death Mountain, the only location _not_ hand drawn on this map was.

"I've been thinking we should head over Mount Lanayru and the Lanayru Great Spring. With how small you are, I could very easily carry you all the way to Zora's Domain. We could even possibly get all the way to East Reservoir Lake without alerting the Zoras."

"W-wait." Link stuttered a little, gaping at him. "Is that.. right? Should we really be charging into Zora territory without permission? And also.." she burrowed her eyebrows a little, "isn't Mount Lanayru supposed to be freezing? I don't have anything to keep me warm. I've been trying to learn how to make elixirs but.." Link remembered her disastrous attempt at making one on the road up to Hateno, making something that wasn't an elixir and _definetely probably_ wasn't edible either. She needed more supplies before trying that again.

Kass smiled, beckoning Link forwards as he went under the loft. Link noticed a chest there, under the stairs and Kass opened it, revealing a bunch of pink clothing Link hadn't seen before. "This is your father's snowquill set, bought from my own home of Rito Village." Link pulled the soft warm clothing from the chest, which consisted of boots, warm thick trousers as well as a thick tunic and gloves. It was far too big for her, but nothing the slate couldn't fix. Kass chuckled warmly, "Bolson _begged_ your father to dye it pink so they'd be matching."

"So what," Link said as she folded up the tunic and trousers, placing the boots and gloves along with them on the table, "we just waltz up into Zora's Domain and hope for the best? From what I've been told, the Zoras are an isolated tribe already, shouldn't we.. I don't know.. talk to their elder at least? Maybe he could give us some advice about the Divine Beast?"

"The Divine Beast Vah Ruta is laying dormant in East Resevoir Lake." Kass sat on one of the beds, "Has been ever since its Champion, Mipha the Zora Princess, fell in Hyrule Castle." he looked over at Link as she tapped the Sheikah slate, the blue Shikah eye appearing on the screen. "Did the monks not tell you much about the beasts?"

"Only that I had to 'awaken' them, and add their power to my own." Link struggled with the vagueness of that statement now. What exactly did that _mean_ , adding the power of the Beasts to her own?

Kass let out a sigh, "Those ancient Sheikah are as unhelpful as always I see, leaving cryptic clues around Hyrule for people to decipher."

"What about the other beasts and their Champions?" Link asked, looking to Kass for advice. She swear she had heard the name Mipha before, but she couldn't remember _where_. "Vah Rudania and the Goron Champion Daruk. Vah Medoh and the Rito Champion Revali. Vah Naboris and the Gerudo Champion Urbosa." Kass repeated, "But you don't have to worry about them now. Zora's Domain is the closest to where we are, and I think you should focus on one task at a time."

After that Link and Kass headed to bed, Kass staying in one of the beds underneath the loft and Link in the bed above the loft. She had now stored both the stealth set and the snowquill clothing into the slate, bringing out her traditional Lurelin clothing so she could sleep in them tonight. She was amazed at how the slate even kept the clothing clean and fresh. If everyone in Hyrule had a Sheikah slate of their own, then no-one would need to clean clothes ever again. You could keep ingredients fresh too. It really was an amazing device, too bad the technology had been lost to time.

Burying her head in the pillow of the bed, Link looked out of the little window just above the loft, the stars twinkling brightly in the sky. It was strange now, she had been awake for so long having barely gotten any sleep since being passed out in the forest and again when she tried to sleep near the cooking pit in Kakariko, and still she barely felt tired at all. She wondered if that was the Sheikah slate's doing too, looking over at it on the little table beside the bed. She spread out her arms and legs on the bed. The beds in Hateno were _different_ from the beds they had in their little huts back in Lurelin, and yet strangely so comfortable. And somewhat familiar too? Link closed her eyes as sleep suddenly took her.

* * *

_She couldn't sleep, her legs curled up to her chest as she heard voices below her from the center room. Her parents were arguing, as quietly they could to not wake her up, but still arguing none the less. She closed her eyes. She didn't want to hear them. It didn't matter what her mother was saying. Her father had been called to service, they couldn't ignore that no matter how much she begged._

_"We have a life here." her mother was saying, "Does that not mean anything to you?"_

_"Of course it does," her father said, "I'm happy here, with you. With our child. But surely even you must have seen the signs by now. It's getting worse out there, among Hyrule. The monsters are getting more aggressive and they need more forces at the town now more then ever."_

_"And what about Link?" her mother snapped, as she squeezed her eyes shut. "Link is going to want to follow your footsteps, you know that. Link idolises you." There was a clunk of metal against the table as her father removed his soldier's helm._

_"I know. I know." Link carefully stood up, making sure to keep her footsteps light she walked over to the barrier overlooking the center room. She peered down into the main hub of their home, spotting her parents. Her father was sitting on one of the chairs, her mother with her back to her as they both looked at the letter on the table. The scar covering her father's left eye, which he had gotten in a monster attack visible even in the dark of the night._

_"I know it was your dream to become a knight of the castle." her mother was saying softly, "But I don't want that dream to become my child's dream too. Or this one's." she placed her hand on the bump of her stomach._

_"Link." her father spoke, suddenly and sternly, his eyes focusing on her. Of course he had spotted her, he was too good not to have, both as a warrior and as a father. It was why Link loved him so. Her mother turned around, placing a hand on her husband's shoulder as he relented to her, "Link." she spoke softly, "You should get some sleep alright? Don't worry about all of this."_

_Link nodded as she turned around getting back into bed. She looked up at the small window just above the loft as a face she didn't recognise looked back at her: a pale white boy with blue eyes, looking back down into her own face._

* * *

Link's eyes opened as she jolted up from the bed, her hands moving to her face as she looked up at the window into her own dark face and green eyes. Gently she pressed her hands to her face over and over, watching the reflection in the window do the same as her mind recoiled with what she had just seen. What _was_ that? Just a dream? But it had felt so _real_. She remembered the thoughts she had had as if they were own thoughts. She had looked down at people she didn't recognise and yet, had completely saw them as her own parents. No, they _were_ her parents. Looking down at the bed she was in, she rubbed her face and eyes, struggling with the thoughts that raced through her mind.

"Link!" she heard a voice from down below call her and she jolted out of bed, rushing down the stairs to find Kass there at the table, putting down a plate of omelet on her side of the table that he had just cooked. "Ah good, you're awak-" he looked over at her, seeing the obvious distresss on her face, "Is.. is everything alright Link?"

Link suddenly realised how heavily she was breathing and tried to calm herself down. "Y-yeah.. I'm alright." she sat down in her chair, burying her head into the plate in front of her as she swallowed mouthfuls of omelet. Kass looked at her concerningly for a moment, before sitting down in the other chair. "It's still dawn, and we've got plenty of time this morning to stock up on supplies as soon as the shops open before heading to Purah's, and then towards Mount Lanayru. If we get going as soon as possible, we could be in Zora's Domain by this time tomorrow." That was a lot quicker then the week she had originally guessed on Firly to the stables, and then walking the rest of the way to the Domain by foot. Suddenly, Kass' plan didn't seem so bad, even if she wasn't sure about not letting the Zoras in on it.

A thought came to her then, "Oh, can we head by the armour shop before we go to Purah's?"

"Armour?" Kass repeated.

"Yes. The snowquill set is great, but I want something to help me blend in more with other Hylian travellers if I'm going to be on the roads a lot."

"Hm." Kass looked away, thinking to himself, "That's not a bad idea actually. Sure, we can go to the armour shop on the way. Ah, speaking of which. Bolson was here earlier, asking about your horse at the stable by the inn."

"Firly?" Link looked up from the plate, determined not to think about last night. "Is Firly okay? Firly isn't my horse its-"

"Yes, one of the Sheikah had lent you that horse to get here to Hateno. It's actually about one of his subordinates. Bolson told me that his subordinate was heading to Akkala, and when I told him we were heading to Mount Lanayru-" at the panic in Link's eyes, Kass hurriedly continued, "-don't worry I didn't tell him why we were going there, he said his subordinate, Hudson, I think he said the man's name was, could take the horse back to the Dueling Peaks stable for you on the way."

"O-oh!" Link swallowed the last morsels of her omelet. That was perfect actually! Kass really had thought about their plans this much, she was glad someone here was thinking five steps ahead at all times, because for her personally she hadn't felt like she had planned ahead at all. "Yeah, I'm okay with that." So Kiyah would get her horse back in the stables, that was one less thing for her to worry about now.

"Good, then lets get going to the shops in Hateno for supplies." As they collected their supplies (Link locking the Sheikah slate to her belt again) and locking the house up (good riddance Link couldn't help but think as she looked back towards the house, wondering if it was haunted somehow and yet feeling guilty that her father's home creeped her out so much), the two headed back over the bridge. They met with Bolson and Hudson and Link gave them her blessing to take Firly with them to the stable, giving the old horse one last pet (and feeding him a swift carrot she had sneaked out of the slate before hand) before Hudson left the town with the horse, and the two continued up to the shops.

"I'll head into East Wind for supplies. Is there anything you need Link?"

"Arrows." Link replied, thinking of her dwindling supply. She'd only gotten a bundle of ten from the Kakariko shrine, and while she had managed to pick up a couple on the way to Hateno, it wouldn't be enough if they were heading into monster territory up on the mountain. Hopefully she wouldn't need them though if they were going to be flying above the ground. She still wasn't that good with a bow to be honest, remembering how the Yiga blademaster had easily destroyed the arrows she had fired to distract him back above Kakariko.

Kass nodded, heading into the shop as she went the clothing shop. Looking around at the clothing on the pedestal, she wondered what to get as a gentle voice spoke at her, "Good morning! Welcome! Everyday clothes? Armour for soldiers? We have it all at Ventest Clothing!" Link looked around, spotting the girl in the corner of the shop behind the door, before her head span around again, realising what she had said. Behind the Hylian clothing in the front on the pedestals in the back was soldier's armour, exactly like the armour her fath- no, the man in her dream had been wearing. Almost like she was back in that dream, she walked over to the armour, reaching out and touching the design on the front of the tunic. The metal of the armour was cool to the touch. "Do you like it? I think the set we have here maybe too big for you, but it'll cost 630 rupees to make you a new set."

"No, that's okay, I'll take this set." Link heard herself speak even as the girl sputtered behind her. A little while later after using the slate to make the armour her size, she left the shop in the new armour. Kass was waiting outside for her and he looked at her puzzled as she approached him, "I thought you were getting something to blend in better?"

"I thought about it," Link admitted, still feeling strange in the armour, but revelling in how strangely comfortable it felt (not as comfortable as the stealth set or even the snowquill set she thought to herself), even if the greaves were more heavier then she was used too, "But then I realised, if I'm going to fighting monsters, then I need all the defense I can get right? Plus I've seen travellers on the road before wearing this type of armour. It won't be _too_ out of place."

"That's true." Kass nodded, thinking of Akkala in particular. "Well, I've gotten the supplies you needed anyway." handing the bundles of arrows to her, Link quickly stored them into the slate that was now hidden beneath the arm guards of the soldier's armour (she was getting quite used to quickly bringing that slate out and hiding it again before anyone took notice of it) and the two headed up the path towards the tech lab. They spotted Ralera again who was back at her post overlooking the windmills and had a quick goodbye with her before again heading up the path.

As the tech lab grew closer and closer, passing the children who were playing up the path, Link felt herself suddenly grow nervous, almost feeling the Sheikah slate humming in her arm guards. Yet another person who was going to learn her secret, perhaps Kass had been right in not wanting to let the Zoras in on this whole thing.

Kass gently knocked on the door, before the door banged open. A Sheikah man with glasses was standing there, holding a small portable lantern like the ones she had seen on the way up to lab, this one with a blue flame inside it. "Oh Kass! It's just you. We.. were expecting someone else."

"Hello Symin." Kass, moving out of the way as the Sheikah man passed him, using the lantern to lighten the strange Sheikah device next to the building which then began to blue. "This furnace has been going out more and more frequently. Ms. Purah is constantly having me run back and forth from the furnace to retrieve the blue flame, so I just started carrying this lantern with me at all times. It really is genius that Ms. Purah was able to invent it so quickly, but it's too bad we couldn't make another one and get it up to Robbie in Akkala though."

"Symin!" a voice called out and the Sheikah man jolted, rushing back inside, "Coming Ms. Director!"

"Come on Link." Kass led the way into the tech lab as Link followed, and the Sheikah man returned the portable lantern to the table where an old lady was sitting in front of it, buried in research papers. If Impa had been old, then this Sheikah woman was even much older then her. She was even shorter then Impa still, looking over her red glasses.

Link looked over the table, spotting on the corner an old framed picture. There were six people in the picture. One Zora, one Goron, one Rito, one Gerudo and two Hylians, a boy and a girl. As Link looked at the photo, she focused on the Hylian boy, realising that she recognised him. He was much older then he had been before, but it was definetely the boy from her dream. The one she had dreamt that she _was_. Despite herself, she stepped forwards towards the framed picture, but the Sheikah woman called out to her, snapping her back to reality.

"Well, I'm not getting any younger here. The Sheikah slate if you would please." The director of the tech lab, Purah, lifted her hand towards Link still not looking at her. Link pulled the slate out from her arm guards even as it hummed even more in response, placing it into the Sheikah woman's hand. The woman faltered a bit, feeling how heavy the slate was and looking at it, "What is this? Why does it look so different from the Sheikah slate we had a century ago? This won't fit in our Guidance Stone at all!"

She finally looked up at Link, her red Sheikah eyes locking with Link's green ones and Link could suddenly feel the pain that was radiating off the Sheikah woman, even if her elderly face didn't show it. "Hm. Impa did said in her letter that you looked so much like our Hylian Champion, but I wasn't expecting _this_." her eyes roamed up and down Link's armour clad body, "You even wear soldier's armour just like he did before he gained the Champion title."

It was all suddenly too much, Link stepped back locking her armour clad fingers together and pressing them against her face, looking down at the floor. Kass stepped forward, a wing carefully around Link's shoulders as he tried to comfort her, "Purah.."

"Oh and you're here too Kass." Purah said dismissively, as she placed the slate down on the table, over looking the entire slate from top to bottom, "Come to bring me another momentum of my dead friends have you?"

"M-Ms. Director, please.." Symin struggled as he stepped in towards the two, and Purah reached for the picture, bringing it closer to her as she worked. "Purah, I brought you that photo because it thought it best with you." Kass spoke quietly, "My teacher did say you were the one who took it after all."

"Yes, yes." again, she dismissively waved her hand at him as she pulled a tool from the red pack that was near her, flipping the slate onto its back again. There was a voice screaming in Link's head to make her stop, but Link forced it out of her mind. ( _"Shut up, you told me that it needed to be repaired right? This Sheikah is our best bet at that."_ ) She wasn't going to assault an old obviously greiving woman for the slate back. Still, as the old woman jabbed at the slate with the tool, Link herself felt _she_ had been jabbed at, wincing a little as she rubbed her left upper arm.

Purah tsked, "I can't do anything with this. It must be a beta version or something, it looks to be even older then the one we found." Purah turned back to Link who was still rubbing her arm, handing the slate back to her. "It even has two handles! Why does it need _two_? One handle would be good enough to carry it."

Link took the slate, storing it back into her arm guards as she smiled at her, "Thank you for looking at it anyway. We'll be on our way now."

The Sheikah woman looked at Link again, looking her up and down before sighing heavily, shifting her too big glasses a little on her face. "..'m sorry. Link, is it?" Link nodded, "I've always been a bit blunt and crude, my younger sister Impa told me. It's not your fault. Yours either, Kass." she tilted her head a little towards him, "You're both outsiders, you don't really deserve that."

"I get it." Link said quietly, "I lost my parents to a guardian attack six years ago." she looked back at the photo that Purah was now looking away from, "You lost a lot more then that though."

"I thought I was over it." Purah mumbled quietly. "Losing our friends, having to seperate from my sister and my remaining friends for so long. And then we lost another of our friends." Kass looked away at that, removing the Sheikah hat he was wearing. "No, don't take it off Kass. Robbie gave you that hat for a reason."

"I don't feel like I deserve it though.." Kass muttered sadly.

Purah leaned back in her chair, lost in her own thoughts again as she looked at the ceiling of the tech lab. "When we all met up for his funeral, it all seemed to come at me again. What we lost back then, not just our friends, but our sense of belonging, and not just with the Champions, but with the Sheikah as a whole." As Link looked at Purah, she truly began to feel just how _broken_ the Sheikah were, not just Purah herself, but the Sheikah back in Kakariko too, despite how content they had seemed on the outside.

Link thought of Kiyah, and found herself desperately wanted to save them. Not just the Sheikah, but all of Hyrule. All of these lives clinging together desperately in small villages and settlements, just trying to survive. All these people who had suffered terribly over the years. They had all been so _kind_ to her, despite their own suffering. Link wanted to save them all.

Link reached for Kass and tuggled lightly on his tunic, "We should go to Zora's Domain."

"Impa told me about your goal." Purah continued, "To be honest, I'm not sure what it will do. For a while we believed the Divine Beasts to be taken over by the Calamity, just like the guardians back at the castle had been. Robbie and I visited Zora's Domain once you know, to check on Vah Ruta. But it was completely immobile and de-activated, half sunken in the resevoir. As far I can tell its remained that way ever since." Purah's eyes fiercened, reaching out for the photo and looking at it, "What we really need to do is get into the castle and take out the Calamity for good. Then Hyrule can truly start to heal."

( _"No. No no no no nononononono--"_ ) Link ignored the repeating voice in her head. "To be honest, I'm not sure either. I've just been doing what I was told to do so far." Link smiled brightly, despite feeling how fake it was, "But I have to believe that it will do something to help if I'm to keep going."

Purah sighed, turning back to her research and waving dismissevely at the two. "Isn't that true for all of us? Very well, you go to Zora's Domain. And keep us informed will you Kass?"

"You have my word Purah." Kass nodded, "As soon as I hear news, I'll bring it to you Impa and Robbie as soon as possible."

As the two left the house, Link tapped the Sheikah slate, chosing the snowquill set as it materialized instantly on her body, storing the soldier's armour away and Kass bent down on one knee as she climbed onto his back, getting ready to take off towards Mount Lanayru. Here they go then, Link thought to herself, steeling herself for beginning of the journey towards the four areas she had been tasked to go to: "To Zora's Domain."


	7. Spring of Wisdom

The snowfall was heavier then expected as Link and Kass flew over Walnot Mountain, the mass of houses in Hateno Village becoming smaller and smaller in the distance although Purah's lab was still visible from here. Link peered down to the snow covered mountains below her, recognising the small green dots as lizalfos as they patrolled the area. Thankfully they were too high up and the two hadn't been noticed yet as Kass soared over the mountain.

Link raised her hand, covering her eyes as she looked up towards the top of the mountain. They was too far away at the moment to see the very peak of it, and it was too snowy regardless even if they had been closer, Link wincing her eyes a little to stop the snowfall from landing in her eyes.

She was grateful for the snowquill set. The cold wind on her face was bad enough, but she shuddered to imagine what it would have been like without the soft Rito style clothing as it enveloped her body in its warmth. She peered up where the sun had been before the snowfall had intensified, it was still there of course, it was only around noon now, but you couldn't see it all with how intense the snow was. Activating the slate, Link pulled out a few baked apples that they had roasted before, handing one to the Rito who took the soft treat from her.

"Kass, once we get over the mountain it will be almost dark. Is there anywhere we can rest for the night before travelling again in the morning?"

Kass rustled for something beneath his wings, before pulling out his hand drawn map again and handing it to Link. "I know Lanayru Bay quite well, I've spent some time here before to map out the area." he ascented at a much steeper climb now, as the two approached Madorna Mountain. "There are two plains near the bay: Brynna and Samasa. And in between those plains is a cave that's lighted by Luminous Ore." Link opened a little bit of the map, bending her back over it to keep the snow off it. True to the Rito's words, he had marked a small location between the two places he had mentioned, Samasa Plain and Brynna Plain.

Link was impressed. Kass not only knew all the areas he had mapped out, but had also taken note of specific monuments that might come in handy. "You really know your way around Hyrule Kass." she closed the map back up, handing it back to the Rito who placed it back under his wings. "I try my best." As the climbed higher and higher, Link looked over to the west where Naydra Snowfield lay with its mass of large pine trees, the forest visible even from here. "Are we not heading west? I feel like it would be faster that way."

"That's true.." Kass hesitated a little, "It _would_ be faster, but." Kass looked back at her, a look of worry on his face, "Lanayru Road's East Gate is that way. And unfortunately for us, a Lynel has made its home there." Link's body felt warm, but her blood froze at Kass' words. Of course, she knew about Lynels: the only thing in this large world of Hyrule that was as terrifying as a Guardian stalker. She remembered when she young, as her father told her stories about how he travelled the world and just barely got a glimpse of one (her mother scolding him for scaring her with such stories). She could remember his description of it even now: a horse like monster even bigger then a moblin with a fiery red mane.

"Well, its a good thing we're not going that way then!" she laughed despite the fear she felt.

Kass nodded at that, "Right, so instead we will be heading right over the top of Mount Lanayru. Hold on now Link!" he spread out his wings as he flew at even a greater steep. Link clung to him, practically pressing her body to his back as the snow pelted her face. They were flying very close to the mountain now, and she could hear the shreiking of the monsters below them as the wind whipped around them. "There it is, the very summit of Mount Lanayru, can you see it now Link?" She could and Link was amazed at the sight of it, large icicles coming out of the very top of the mountain. How cold was the top of the mountain that even the earth itself seemed frozen over?

As the summit of the mountain got closer and closer, Link could suddenly feel the the Sheikah slate humming from she had stored it in her tunic. She pulled it out (she supposed it was useless to keep it hidden right now, as only she and Kass were here on the mountain) and was surprised to find it had already activated without her tapping at it, the blue Sheikah eye glowing on the screen. "That's odd." she murmured a little, strangely feeling even warmer then before as the two approached the freezing summit. Even her previously cold face suddenly didn't feel as cold as she had before, as she looked into the Sheikah's slate screen.

"Link, what is it?" Kass asked, glancing over his shoulder back at her.

"The Sheikah slate. Its activated without me touching it." Kass stopped in his tracks just with the summit of the mountain just out of reach, as the snowfall seemed to intensify even more around them. "The slate?" he asked, intrigued. "I wonder if it's to do with the shrine that's around here."

Link jolted at that, "There's a shrine on the mountain?"

"Well.." Kass chuckled, "maybe 'shrine' is the wrong word. I can't know for sure. There's lots of rumours about Mount Lanayru you know. The travelers who frequent between Hateno and Kakariko speak about them frequently, perhaps you heard a few when you were on the path to Hateno?" At his words, Link remembered one of the Hylians she had indeed met on the path towards Hateno, a young woman named Celessa who had mentioned something called--

"The Spring of Wisdom." as she spoke the words, Link looked back at the mountain and suddenly saw something she hadn't seen before. Something purple was wrapped around the icicles covering the mountain.

"Link!" Kass whispered, agast as he looked back at her face, "Your _eyes_. They're like how they were back in Lurelin."

"My.. eyes?" looking back into the slate, she looked at her own reflection. Then she saw them, her eyes glowing as blue as the slate itself. She yelped as she released the slate, stumbling back from Kass as her leg slipped out from where she had been holding on too him. And the slate itself slipping from her hands and falling down to the spring below.

"No!" Kass yelled as his wings wrapped around her to stop her from falling off him before diving back down towards the spring. Link tightened her eyes as she clung desperately to Kass, her mind in a whir as the wind blew around them. Kass' feet stepped on to the pedestal of the spring, just below the steps as Link opened her eyes again. The slate had landed intact right in the center of the small circlar pedestal, a Goddess Statue right in front of it. And behind the statue..

Kass stepped forward hesitantly for a moment, before picking up the slate. "It's a good thing this thing is made of indestructable ancient Sheikah technology." he murmured. In the hands of another person, the slate deactivated, its blue Sheikah eye vanishing from the screen, but he turned back to Link anyway, handing it out to her. But Link wasn't looking at the slate, her still blue eyes looking past Kass at the icicles, "What _are_ you?" she asked in awe. Kass turned around himself, looking behind him, but he could see nothing except for the Goddess Statue and the icicles.

"Link, what is it?" he asked, glancing back at her.

"A.. dragon?" Link cocked her head a little to the side, as her eyes seemed to glow even brighter. "I think that's right? Yes." Link nodded affermatively, as if to herself. "She's a dragon." taking the slate from Kass, it activated in her hands again. "But there's something wrong with her. She's not supposed to look like this." Link tapped the slate and, removing her phrenic bow and quiver of arrows from it. She fastened the quiver to her back, taking hold of the bow. "She's corrupted with _malice_."

Kass stumbled back a little at her words, depsite not being able to see the dragon himself. Link turned to Kass as her eyes returned to their usual green with confusion, "What's malice?"

"Malice.." Kass fumbled with his words, "It's.. well, I'm not sure _how_ to describe malice to be honest. It's all over Central Hyrule, _especially_ near the castle. Us travellers aren't even sure where even the word itself originated from. The closest thing I can compare malice too is, well, a bog. Except its purple and covered in strange eyes that watch you if you get too close to them." Kass put a wing over his beak, struggling with his thoughts, "I've also heard stories of travellers who get caught in pockets of malice, though I was never able to determine how true those stories are. They say that once that sludge covers you, that you can't escape. That the victims never stop screaming the entire time, until _they do_."

Link shivered as Kass continued, "But I _have_ met survivors of malice. Usually they walk away with a burn where the malice touched. It takes a long time to heal, but it evantually does." Kass looked over at Link, "And you say this dragon is.. covered in malice?"

"Naydra's alive." Link said, looking back at Kass as her eyes lit up blue again, "I can tell she is." Kass nodded, he couldn't see the dragon, but looked up at the icicles anyway. Of course he had heard rumours of dragons before from travellers around Hyrule. One of his mentor's songs had included something about a dragon too. If anyone could survive being touched by malice for so long, it would certainly be one of those mythical creatures from those old Hyrulean fairytales.

Link stepped forward, she appeared to be talking to the dragon again. "So I have to.. shoot the eyes?"

"Link, be _careful_." Kass called out as he stepped back. Even though he couldn't see the dragon himself, the longer they stayed here the more this place felt _off_ somehow.

Link raised the bow, her eyes glowing hotly blue and she shot off an arrow just to the left of the Goddess Statue. The arrow cracked against something Kass couldn't see and then the air around them changed, the wind whipping fiercely around the two and the spring. Kass could almost _feel_ the dragon as it moved around them.

Link turned to the Rito, and there was a fierceness in her bright blue eyes that was so unlike the gentle girl he knew. "Naydra's heading up to the very peak of the summit. I have to follow her." Turning back, Link began to run up the snow covered path toward the summit. Kass stared stunned. He knew in his heart he should stay here, this was far beyond anything he could possibly do. And yet, thoughts of Link's father filling his mind, and when he'd come to Lurelin for the first time and met the young child, still so small in her parents arms, and continuing thoughts of his own daughters back in Rito Village.. Kass knew he couldn't just stay there at the spring, flying after Link as she ran up the path towards the peak.

As the two reached the very peak of the mountain, the very tips of the large icicles surrounding it, Link turned around on the spot. She looked distraught as she raised the bow again, "Naydra, please slow down! I'm trying to help you!" she aimed a few times with the bow, hesitating to draw an arrow as she searched for a clean shot. Turning around again, Link spotted the highest icicle, and ran towards it.

"Link!" Kass called out as he stepped forward, a wing raised in her direction. The wind here was so much more intense then it had been before and as it whipped around him, Kass wondered if it was the just the rough weather of the mountain itself, or the dragon.

Link placed the bow on her back as she climbed the icicle. It looked far too slippery to climb, but somehow she _knew_ that she was able to climb it. As she reached the top of the icicle, Link stood up, taking the phrenic bow in hand again and aiming for one of the eyes on Naydra. The dragon turned, the wind whipping around it as it came towards her. Link concentrated and fired off another arrow as it just missed the eye by a fraction. She hissed at that and drew another arrow. This time the arrow made its mark, destroying the second eye. Still in the heat of the moment, Link lept off the icicle as Kass yelled out but Link didn't notice. She could see the third eye near the half way down the body of dragon, and time seemed to slow down as she fired off another arrow. Again it hit its mark, leaving only the fourth eye on Naydra's head, but before Link had any time to react, the dragon's head was suddenly right in front of her and the two were falling back down to the spring.

 _Pain._ It was far beyond any physical pain that Link had felt before, as the purple malice of one of Naydra's crystals struck her in the shoulder, even through the Rito tunic itself seemingly went untouched. Link screamed out as she fell past the Spring of Wisdom and towards the mountains below. When had she closed her eyes? Feeling and hearing the incessant beeping of the Sheikah slate on her belt, Link opened her eyes again, she could see Naydra right in front of her, her form following Link down the mountain as the wind tore around them. Behind them in the distance, she could see Kass flying after them. But he was too far away. She was going to crash into the snowfield below her as she hurtled towards the ground. The right side of her face felt cold again, but the left side of her face blazed as brightly warm has it had before she had fell and she raised the bow again.

Kass desperately struggled to keep up as Link fell so far below him. No, he couldn't have failed like this so early? Link hadn't even gotten to one of the Divine Beasts yet! He couldn't allow her to die like this! He couldn't allow Link to die _at all_! Thinking of his teacher then, Kass willed and begged his body to fly faster, his eyes focused on Link's face. It wasn't until later that he had realised that at this exact moment, she had one blue eye and the other green.

Raising the bow, Link looked at Naydra's face right in front of her as it chased her down the mountain side. There was almost.. a pleading look in Naydra's eyes. With excruciating pain in her right shoulder where she had been struck by the malice, she lifted the bow with her left arm and as time seemed to slow again, Link fired off the arrow right in front of her face.

* * *

Link awoke with a gasp, looking around wildly. Where was Naydra? She was vaguely aware of a fireplace roaring beside her and the surprising coolness against her back (she thought she would have been _much_ colder). Hissing pain from the burn on her shoulder brought her back to reality again, as her green eyes focused on Kass who had pulled up the right arm of her tunic and was gently pressing a damp cloth into her shoulder, she spoke out hoarsely, "What happened? Where's Naydra?"

Kass looked at her and Link could see the tiredness in his eyes (guilt swept through her at that) as he pointed above them with his wing and Link looked back to see Naydra wrapped around the icicles surrounding Mount Lanayru once more, the purple now completely gone from it's form as it shone a beautiful brilliant blue. Naydra was looking at Link impassively, as she slumped back against the pedestal of the Spring of Wisdom, sighing out loudly. The snowfall around the mountain now had mostly stopped and everything was calm for now. The Sheikah slate on her belt was quiet again too.

"A malice burn." Kass murmured quietly as he continued to press the damp cloth into her injured shoulder. "As I said before, it will evantually heal, given time." looking up at Naydra, Kass continued, "I hope this dragon is grateful for what you've done for it." there was a surprising note of bitterness in Kass' voice. Link looked at him, until she realised Kass was looking directly at Naydra. She sat up, wincing with the pain as she did. "You.. you can see Naydra now?"

"Yes." Kass plucked a baked apple from the fire, handing it to Link. "To be honest, I'm not sure why I couldn't before. It's not like I can't see the malice after all." as Link bit into the soft apple, she looked between the Rito and the dragon. "What happened? I don't really remember much."

"You don't remember hitting the dragon with your arrows?" Kass asked and she noted the bow and quiver near him.

"No, I remember that.." she said slowly, struggling to think. "I definetely remember getting hit with the malice, I also remember using my bow and I remember going up the mountain too.." she rubbed at her head a little with her uninjured arm, taking the Sheikah slate off her belt and looking at her now green eyes again in the reflection. "And yet, my memories are kinda blurry at the same time?" It was hard to desribe just what had been going through her mind back then. It was like her body hadn't been her own. She thought about back at Kakariko Village, when Kiyah and Cado had told how she had fought the monsters back then at the gate. But this hadn't been like that. The memories of what had happened were _there_. Just.. foggy.

Kass sat down next to her on the pedestal, "Well after the dragon appeared to me, it caught you and brought you all the way back up to the spring here. And then it dropped _that_." he inclined his head to the side of him, in front of the Goddess Statue. Link sat up again, looking forward. In front of the Goddess Statue there was a blue scale. She looked up at Naydra and the dragon inclined its own head at her. Link felt like she was telling her to take it. She reached out, picking up the scale. It was rather big, she had to cup it in hands to carry the entire length of the scale, and yet it was surprisingly light as well.

"Do you.. want me to do something with this?" she asked the dragon, looking back up at it. But as soon as she had picked up the scale, Naydra had started uncurling herself from the icicles. The wind picked up again, this time gentler then it had been before as Naydra started to ascend into the sky. The Hylian and the Rito simply sat there silently as they watched the blue dragon as it grew smaller in the distance. Using the Sheikah slate to store her bow, quiver of arrows and the mysterious scale, somehow Link had the distinct feeling it wouldn't be the last time she would see one of those dragons.


	8. Zora's Domain

The sun was bright that morning as it rose over the Lanayru Sea, the luminous ore deposits that had kept the cave they had slept under lit up returning to their usual daytime black colour, now physically indistinguishable from any regular ore deposit, as the sun light streamed down into the cave. After the blue dragon Naydra's departure the two had continued their journey down the mountain and over Lanayru Bay, before finally setting up camp under the cave. Kass had set up another camp fire as the two had sat quietly, eating some roasted meat and the leftover fruit they had. The silence between the two that night was palpable, but when Kass had been about to bring up what had happened on the mountain, he had turned to see Link looking at her reflection's eyes in the Sheikah slate and his own words died in this throat instantly.

The two had taken turns to keep watch that night, Link keeping the sword close to herself even as she slept, and Kass removing the swallow bow that he rarely needed to ever use, but still kept with him just in case, from the assortment of items he kept on his person at all times. Later that night, as Kass slept next to her and the still warm campfire, Link couldn't stop looking at her own reflection in the bright blue glow of the luminous ore that kept their little cave lit up as she thought about the events on the mountain. Right then that night, the Sheikah slate was deactivated again; the voice that spoke to her through it silent. Link hadn't even realised it _had_ been a voice for a long time, believing those thoughts to just be her own.

The voice though.. had it been when she first obtained the Sheikah slate or the sword itself? She had glanced over at the sword, the large yet surprisingly light blade that lay beside her in its scabbard. She had barely used either the blade or the slate this entire journey so far despite being taught extensively how to use the runes on the slate. She had only been using it to store items, weapons and clothing. Closing her eyes for a moment, Link had focused on that shrine back in the forest. Even now the memories themselves were blurry, even if she could remember the lessons themselves vividly. It was the same for the training shrine, although that she could remember more of it due to her panic attack when she had seen the guardian. Strangely enough, Link found she didn't even really seem to care so much about her odd memory loss as she opened her eyes again, seeing her green eyes shined back at her through the blue of the luminous ore.

No, it was the eyes.. she thought back to on the mountain, upon seeing her blue eyes reflected in the screen of the slate. And again further back with the dream back in Hateno, seeing the memories of the boy who had seemingly once lived in the same house that her father was then raised in. The previous Hylian who had carried the sword that she now carried as he had back then, the same Hylian in the picture that director Purah had, the same Hylian who had the same name as she did now. Sighing a little, Link had looked up to the ceiling of the cave. As if to make up for what had happened on the mountain, the weather had been clear that night, with not even a cloudy in sight blocking the stars from view. As Link had glanced eastwards out of the cave, the stars shining brightly above the cave and Lanayru Sea in the distance, she had distantly realised how further and further away she was getting from Lurelin.

But that had been last night, and now as morning broke with the last flames of the campfire that had gone out a few hours ago, Link was awoken again by Kass who had taken the last shift of the night and the two got ready to head out again. Link replaced the warm comfy snowquill set she had slept in with the soldier's set again, hoisting both the scabbard containing the sword as well as the minds eye shield from Kakariko on her back (there was no reason not to go without weapons after all as they were unlikely to meet anyone as they travelled up Rutala River and towards East Resevoir Lake. Link somehow still felt terribly guilty about the Zora though, even though she knew deep down that slate and the sword had to be kept secret.

As Kass and Link soared high over Rutala River and towards the dam, Link could finally see the splendor of Zora architecture that litered the path up to the Domain itself. Beautiful bridges made of blue (rumoured by travellers to be made of the very same luminous ore that had lit up the cave the night before). Link held one hand to the top of her soldier's helm, pressing down the helmet onto her head as she looked around the entirety of the Domain below them.

"There Link!" Kass called out to her, "It's the resevoir, do you see it?" turning around, to look where Kass was flying towards, she spotted the large body of water behind the dam, and there sticking out of the north side of the resevoir and leaned over mountain of Shatterback Point, the upper half of the Divine Beast Vah Ruta could be seen. And just like Purah had said, it was deactivated like the ancient Sheikah pedestals. It neither glowed red like the Guardian stalkers out in Hyrule, nor blue like the activated shrines in Korok Forest and Kakariko Village. Link hadn't thought about exactly the Divine Beast would look like and should have been taken aback by the sheer size of it (that was only half of it after all, what would it look like when it was fully unearthed and activated?) but found that she wasn't at all surprised by it. Her face felt warm again, and the humming of the Sheikah slate on her hip told her all that she needed to know, but she refused to look at it, she refused to even _think_ about it, her focus entirely on the Divine Beast infront of her as she and Kass soared over Ruto Mountain and getting closer towards the East Resevoir Lake.

And then.. the Divine Beast moved.

Kass froze in mid air as Vah Ruta suddenly pulled itself upright, it's trunk coming out the water. The circular part of the beasts eye (yet still not glowing either red or blue) began to spin, as it turned towards the direction the Hylian and Rito were in, and Link had strangest feeling that the Beast was looking _directly at her_.

"Kass." Link's eyes glowed fiercely, and her voice felt as if it was not her own as she spoke, "We need to move, _now_." Whether towards or away from the Beast, Link did not know, but as Vah Ruta's trunk raised into the sky, the Beast let out a deafening screech as rain poured from heavens and lightning crackled in the sky around them.

* * *

_In Death Mountain at that exact time, Vah Rudania which had plunged into the center of the volcano almost a century ago raised its head and began to crawl slowly up the interior of the mountain, its large mechanical legs uncaring about the lava pouring around it._

* * *

_And once again, in the freezing cold waters of Hebra Plunge where Vah Medoh had remained for almost a hundred years once it had fallen into the waters there, the mechanical wings of the Beast rose up as it pushed itself out of the freezing depths._

* * *

_Yet despite the awakening of the three beasts in Lanayru, Eldin and Hebra, for some reason in the Gerudo Desert, between Toruma Dunes and the Dragon's Exile, where the last of the Divine Beasts, Vah Naboris had lay for a century, despite it's head raising albeit weakly towards where the cry of Ruta had come from, it did not seem that bothered. Instead, it remained where it was as a weak sandstorm billowed out from around the Divine Beast of the desert. Although perhaps, if one were so foolish to approach the Beast, perhaps they could have heard a voice coming from it.._

* * *

Link felt her sword sparking before she saw it, and Kass just managed to dodge as a bolt almost hit the two of them. Kass flew faster then he had ever flown before as they dodged bolts left and right and heading over Ruto Lake, "Change of plans Link." he called out as the sky roared around them, "I guess we _are_ heading for the Zoras after all." Link fumbled for the Sheikah slate to return the sword back to it, although she was distantly aware of what little affect that would have. The Beast was aiming _directly_ for them after all, with Ruta's ability to produce rainstorms intensified to the point that it could rain lightning down on them. _Despite lightning not being Ruta's foray at all_ , Link thought to herself as she looked back at the resevoir with her glowing blue eyes.

Instead, Link found herself raising the Sheikah slate, activating Cryonis above them, freezing the pouring rain into a shield. Kass watched stunned as they hid under the shield, as lightning tore into it to try and break it, "You can do that with the slate?"

"There's a lot of things I can do with this slate." Link said quietly, eyeing the shield above them, "The runes on it are _intensely_ powerful." she looked into the screen, seeing her own blue eyes but forcing herself out of the moment, focusing on their survival. "That's what the monks who gave it to me said, anyway. This said this paticular slate wasn't supposed to be out here in this realm, but they had no choice with the other one.. gone." Again and again, lightning tore down onto the shield and Link could feel it breaking under the pressure. "We need to move again Kass."

Just at the final bolt broke through the shield's defences (and Link felt herself wince a little as it did) Kass took off again under Luto's Crossing and towards Great Zora Bridge. Close, they were so close. The Divine Beast roared in the distance, but Ruta didn't feel angry. As Link looked back over towards where East Resevoir Lake was, she could somehow feel Ruta's despair pouring off the Beast and through her slate. Link's felt her face wet, not just from the rain pouring around them as Link raised her hands to her face, feeling at the tears streaming from her eyes.

Another bolt of lightning hit near them, this one finally meeting its mark as Kass screamed out, desperately trying to keep afloat for a few moments even as his leg started to give out where it had been struck, steam billowing up from it. Alas, Kass could hold on no more and the two plummeted to the water below.

* * *

Prince Sidon of the Zora really was quite thankful for his fast swimming speed as he headed down the waterfalls of Zora River towards Inogo Bridge. Sidon had been checking up on the Hinox that had made Ralis Pond its home, making sure it wasn't getting any closer to the Domain, on behest of his father King Dorephan, when all of a sudden the sky had erupted above him with a bang. He hadn't needed to return to the Domain to understand that the Zora's greatest fear had finally been realised: that the Divine Beast Vah Ruta was finally awake after all this time.

Over the last century since his sister's demise at Hyrule Castle, the Zoras had developed a habit of constantly checking on the Divine Beast that slept in the resevoir and all but forbidding Hylians from entering the Domain in an effort to protect them. Sidon had even gone himself numerous times in secret as a child, staying at the gate leading towards the resevoir for hours at a time, watching over Ruta until Bazz or Gaddison had finally come to retrieve him. Thankfully over the years since then, the Zoras had developed many backup plans just in case such a thing were to happen. With a bottle of electro elixir held tightly in one hand, Sidon swam past shrieking lizalfos so quickly that he was gone from their presence before they even realised someone had been near them. Heading down the last waterfall, Sidon sped up one last time and leapt up onto Inogo Bridge, looking back up the path towards the Domain.

This was bad. The rain was even reaching even here so far away from the center of the Domain, he couldn't imagine how bad it would be at the resevoir where the Divine Beast was. Sidon had no time to waste as he looked around frantically. Aha, there! Near the camp and cooking pot the Zoras had set up on the crossroads between Zora's Domain and the Akkala region many years ago to deter Hylians from coming all the way to the Domain was a Hylian woman. Sidon approached the Hylian a little quicker then he had planned, forcing a wide smile on his face.

( _"Hylians are good folk." his father King Dorephan had said, "And they're all always willing to help someone in need. Let's hope it never comes to pass, but if the Divine Beast does indeed wake up, then we certainly will require their help." Muzu and the rest of the Zora elders had been indignant at their King's plan, but the rest of the Zoras had agreed. A Hylian was their best bet at stopping Vah Ruta, as Zoras could not touch shock arrows after all._ )

"Hello there, Hylian!" Sidon called out, and the Hylian, a woman with brown hair, a green neckerchief and a heavy backpack, almost jumped a mile, turning to face him. "Yes, you there!" Sidon waved out, "I've been looking for a strong Hylian warrior, what's your name?"

"Uh.. w-warrior?" the Hylian stammered, "No, you've got it all wrong, I'm just a peddler looking to trade to travellers on the road--"

"Kass!! KASS!!" a voice suddenly screamed out and both Sidon and the Hylian turned to the shore beside them. There were two bodies getting thrown about by the intense crashing of the river, a Hylian child pushing desperately against the waves as they tried to make it to shore and an immobile Rito that she was clinging desperately too. The Hylian and Zora wasted no time, rushing into the cold waters of the river as the Hylian woman reached out to the child's hand who desperately reached out back to her, and Sidon jumped back into the river, pushing both of them out onto the shore.

The Hylian child tore off the soldier's helmet she was wearing, dropping it to the ground and slumping back against the grass on her side, desperately taking in deep breaths as Sidon checked the Rito to see if he was breathing. The Hylian woman seemed lost as she watched this chaotic scene unfold, "Uh.. that Rito is he.. alive?"

"He's breathing." Sidon let out a sigh of relief, sitting down by the camp, noting the Rito's injured leg. It seems he had been struck by lightning. Had he been a Zora he likely would have not survived. Thankfully Rito were made of much thicker stuff, their feathers well insulated for most types of weather.

The two Hylians, the Zora and and Rito stayed for the camp for a little in silence, as the Hylian woman brewed something in the cooking pot and Sidon waiting by the Rito until finally he opened his eyes, choking out a little as he sat up. "Link?" (For a moment, Sidon could've sworn he knew that name from somewhere, but couldn't exactly recall it.)

"I'm here." the girl said weakly, lifting her arm. The woman then handed the two of them small pink bottles, "Here, drink these, they'll make you feel better." The girl took the bottle, thanking the woman and downing the liquid instantly and the Rito glanced her at her and the remaining bottle, "No, I'm alright thank you. I doubt that tonic would do anything for me anyway. You keep it." weakly trying to stand, the Rito staggered a little on his injured leg and Sidon reached out for him, letting the Rito lean on him, "Careful. You took a big hit on that leg of yours."

"Kass." the girl sat back up, looking over at him.

"I'm sorry Link." the Rito apologised, trying to stand on his leg again and wincing, "I don't.. I don't think I can help you like this. I need to get a stable, there's one not too far from here. But we can meet up later on in Akkala once you're done in the Domain."

Sidon perked up at that, relieved, "You were heading to the Domain? That's perfect, I was looking for a Hylian to accompany me there!" the two looked over at him and Sidon noted the relief in their eyes.

The Hylian woman looked from the child to the Rito to the Zora in confusion. "Wait, _wait_." But the child nodded, reaching out for her helmet again and placing it on her head, "WAIT." the Hylian woman called out a bit more sternly and all three looked at her, "Didn't you say you were looking for a warrior Mr. Zora?"

"Well, yes." Sidon said, "But I can't get into the details here, I'll explain more once we actually _get_ to the Domain."

"Kid." the woman pinched the bridge of her nose, "How _old_ are you?"

"Twelve." the girl paused, "And a half."

"Well that is young for a Hylian." the Zora muttered, "But then again, all Hylians are young to me since I am over one hundred years old."

The woman sighed, "Well I suppose I have no choice but to follow the two of you up to Zora's Domain too."

The girl, Link's eyes widened, "Oh no, that's okay, you don't have too--"

"My mother back in Akkala would never let me hear the end of it if I just let a kid go all the way to Zora's Domain, a place that's been off limit for _decades_."

"Well, she'll be with me." Sidon said, "Don't worry, I'll make sure to keep her safe."

The Rito tried to smile, even though he was limping on his injured leg, "Yes, don't you worry about Link, she is quite capable."

The woman huffed, placing her hands on her hips, "I was invited by this Zora too you know, so I'm going and that's final!"

Link looked over at Kass, shrugging a little and Kass sighed, he supposed it wasn't best to argue with the Hylian. If they made a fuss about it it would just look _more_ suspicious, and Hylians _were_ good natured folk who helped each other after all. Looking over at the Zora, he just hoped that they would listen to her once she arrived at the Domain and help her with Ruta however they could. The Zoras was the tribe that Kass had the least amount of experience with, but he had a sneaking suspicion that they were both here for the same reason.

"I'm Douma, nice to meetcha!" the Hylian woman winked at the girl, "And you.. that Rito said your name is Link, is that right?"

"Yes, that's right." Link nodded, "Nice to meet you, Douma. That tonic you gave me was amazing by the way, it perked me right up. It doesn't even feel like I fell down three waterfalls at all." Link laughed a little nervously, "I've been trying how to learn elixirs myself while I've been travelling, but I'm not very good at it, do you think you could help me while we're travelling together to the Domain?"

"Sure!" Douma beamed, "It's different from cooking that's for sure, but not at all hard once you get used to it. I'll give you some pointers on the way."

As the two Hylian girls spoke, Kass leaned in towards the Zora, "Please, keep her safe." he asked quietly, looking at the much taller Zora and the Zora grinned, placing his fist on his chest, "Of course! I'm not the Zora Prince Sidon for nothing you know." Prince.. so he was Champion Mipha's.. Kass sighed in relief. Seemed he had worried for no reason, Link would be as safe as possible with Sidon it seemed. Nodding at the Zora, Kass limped past towards the two Hylians, placing a wing on her shoulder as he pulled out his hand drawn map. "Here, Link, you're going to need this more then I do."

Link looked at him, seemingly struggling with her own thoughts. He could tell she wanted to refuse, but after a moment, she took the map from him, albeit looking guilty as she did so, "Thanks Kass.." she muttered quietly.

As they departed, the two Hylians and the Zora heading for the Domain over Inogo Bridge, Kass watched them head over Inogo Bridge together before limping along slowly with the aid of a thick tree branch Sidon had got him towards Woodland Stable.

However, had he stayed just a little while longer, he would have been surprised when a Hylian came up running from the path past Trilby Valley to the crossroads, stopping just before the sign leading to Zora's Domain. "Oh, it looks like the weather's turning bad.. and I was gonna try and get some swift violets from the path leading up to the Domain." The Hylian, a woman with brown hair, wearing a green neckerchief and carrying a heavy backpack pouted as she turned back up the path she had just been.

* * *

Dorian (in his disguise as Douma) watched from just a few steps behind, his eyes focused on the minds eyes shield on the girl's back as the Hylian Hero and the Zora Prince chatted to each other.

"So _you're_ the Zora Prince Sidon!" Link was saying, amazed, "I've heard of you before, my ancestors told of a story when you defeated a giant octorock! They said it swallowed you whole!"

Sidon laughed at that as they walked the path up the way towards the Bank of Wishes (as an inhabitant of Zora's Domain, Sidon knew the best paths so as to avoid fighting as many monsters as possible), "Oh yes, Lurelin Village, feels like just a few years ago that happened. I guess for you villagers, it was much longer."

"It was long before I was born." Link said, "Might have even been before my _dad_ was born."

Dorian tried to keep the smile on his face, even as bile rose up in his throat. He found his thoughts returning, as they usually did, to the family he'd left behind back in Kakariko as his hands balled into fists behind his back, "Hey!" he called out despite himself, "Link and uh.. Sidon right?" the two looked back at him, "It's getting pretty late now, maybe we should set up camp somewhere for the night?"

Sidon looked up, the Zora Prince seemingly hadn't even noticed the sky getting darker around him. "I guess we did spend a good amount of time making sure those two were alright before setting out." he slapped his hands to his face. "Its a good thing there's another camp set up not too far from here then, we just got to get over Oren Bridge and we'll be right there. We'll just have to take out that single lizalfos that for some reason _really_ likes that spot."

Dorian jumped at that, pulling out his wooden bow (actually a phrenic bow disguised as a simple wooden bow. While he _could_ have taken a duplex bow instead, it would have looked too suspicious if what have should have been a simple wooden bow fired off two arrows instead of one). "You leave that to me, I'm pretty good with a bow you know, I'll be able to get that lizalfos no problem."

As the three hid behind a nearby cave (well if you could call what Sidon was doing hiding, his body too large to completely hide behind the cave, having to lean his back at a 90 degree angle), Link watched as Douma angled the shot, with her focus completely on the lizalfos over the river, all quiet apart from the pattering of the never ending rain above them. Then, Douma fired, the arrow piercing the lizalfos straight in the head. The monster never saw it coming as the malice escaped its form. Link gasped, "That's amazing Douma!"

Sidon was impressed too "Are you sure you're not a warrior?" he asked, "Those skills could come in handy once we get to the Domain you know." and Dorian couldn't help but laugh interally and bitterly at that, as if he didn't already know what this was about. As if all three of them didn't know what all this was about, hoping that none of the others were any wiser. As the three headed over Oren Bridge and to the camp, Dorian ripped the tail off the lizalfos' body (that would come in handy in a moment) before he and Sidon pushed the rest of the body into the river and they set up camp by the cooking pot.

Link grabbed the fish that lizalfos had been hoarding, placing them near the fire to roast as she got comfortable near the fire as Douma approached her, throwing the lizalfos tail into the air a little before catching it again, "So, you wanted to learn how to make elixirs Link?"

"Yes please!" Link said eagerly, crossing her legs as Douma came to sit beside her.

"So, what supplies you got on you right now?"

"Uhh...." Link pondered for a moment, thinking of what was stored in the slate, "I have some raw meat, apples, Hylian rice, eggs and milk. Oh and some extra flint too."

Douma looked at her, "Not food, you'll be left with an inedible mess if you combine that with monster parts." At Link's confused face, Douma sighed, reaching into her pack and pulling out a handful of (thankfully already dead) critters as Link blanched at the sight. Douma glanced at her, ( _Calamity, Kiyah, what were you thinking?_ Dorian couldn't help but wonder to himself as he removed two cold darners from the pile of bugs. _This child is far too empathetic for this._ ) "You're from a fishing village aren't you? This isn't any different from that."

"Yeah but lizards aren't edible.." Link muttered quietly, looking at the black fireproof lizard in the handful of critters Douma had as she put the rest into the bag. "Not under normal circumstances, true. But these are the wilds of Hyrule." Douma spoke firmly as she added the bugs and lizalfos tail to the pot, the tail almost immediately melting into a green slurry due to the intensity of the heat (Link wondered if monster parts were especially potent because of the Calamity's influence), "You do what you need to in order to survive, whether that be hunting for food or taking advantage of the other wildlife around you." Douma stirred the sludge in the pot with a ladle as she removed an empty bottle from the pack with her free hand, and Link watched despite herself as the two blue bugs broke down into the slurry, turning the mixture an almost shiny blue as Douma continued to stir.

"Although.." Douma said almost hesitantly, as she continued to look intensely into the pot, "If you've got the rupees you could always check out the stables. There's a merchant who always hangs around them and I hear his speciality is bugs. It would take the trouble out of hunting down critters yourself, that's for sure." Link watched as Douma scooped up the liquid with the ladle, pouring it into the bottle, before topping it with a lid, "Perfectly stewed chilly elixir." she said, holding the small bottle between her thumb and forefinger.

"Speaking of elixirs!" Sidon suddenly sat down beside them, his height towering over the two Hylians even while sitting, "I've had this electro elixir for a while now." he pulled out a bottle full of yellow liquid, the same size as Douma's, but it looked so much smaller in his massive hand, "It doesn't work for us Zora, but I was planning on giving it to the Hylian who accompanied me to the Domain."

"I don't need it." Douma said, bringing her pack back to her side as she got comfortable by the fire and taking one of the fish that Link had roasted, "I could make my own if needed." and Sidon beamed as he handed the small bottle to Link who looked at it. "Ah.. th-thank you." she said quietly, pocketing the small bottle, reminding herself to use the slate to store it as soon as she could as she took one of the fish herself too and Sidon returned to his watch post.

Later as Dorian poked at the flames under cooking pot, he glanced back to where Link was laying against the rocky wall behind the camp. The soldiers armour the girl was wearing seemed to fit her just perfectly and he was almost disgusted. He hadn't been aware Hylians made their armour in child size. It seemed that they and the Yiga Clan were more alike then he had realised.

"Prince Sidon," he called out to the Zora who was keeping watch near the bridge, "I can keep watch if you'd like while you rest." But the Zora Prince just smiled, "No need Douma, Zoras can go without sleep far longer then Hylians can, you two rest, I can keep guard all night long."

Foricing a smile, Dorian nodded, "I see.." he looked up at the starry sky as the moon moved over Hyrule, its light shining above them. It was a full moon tonight. Glacing back at Link's side, he noted how the Hylian child's eyes also watched the moon as it rose in the sky. "Can't sleep?" he asked, as Link looked over at him. "Worrying about the blood moon, hm?"

Link looked away, "Is it that obvious?"

"I doubt there's a traveller alive who doesn't think about the moon constantly. We are always on alert." Dorian pressed his fingertips together, his thoughts returning to Karusa Valley (of a small boy overlooking a large hole as the red moon shone bright above him) and he shut his eyes, willing the memory away. Yet despite himself, Dorian found himself asking out quietly, "Do you remember the first blood moon you ever saw?"

Link looked over at Douma and brought her hand to her chin as she pondered that question. Memories came to her of her parents locking up the shutter of their home in the evening, of the strange chill she had felt in those days, and how the village would not go fishing. How there would barely be any travellers sometimes for days before one was about to happen. How many times over the years had they planned (and just as many times, not planned) for a blood moon? She shook her head, "No, sorry, I don't. It's just kind of.. always been a thing for as long as I can remember."

Douma just nodded at that, an odd sad smile on her face. "Sorry, that was a weird question, wasn't it? Its just when I think about the blood moon, I want to know _how_ it started, you know? Was it even a thing before the Calamity happened? Or did our ancestors also have to deal with it all those years ago?" She looked down at her hands, "Why do the stars disappear? Why do even the days become cold? There's so many things about our world that we don't know. And so many things that have caused us to suffer over these years." Douma looked over at Link's wide green eyes, "I just wish I could stop it, you know?"

Link nodded, despite herself, feeling the weight of the Sheikah slate in her arm guards and Douma smiled, "But don't worry about that, okay? Lets just make it Zora's Domain and find out what's going on here. You just get some rest for now, okay Link?"

And later on still, as Link's sleeping form slipped down the wall she was laying against, her blonde hair pressed against the shoulder of his disguised form, Dorian glanced back at the Hylian girl, then to the Zora Prince who was still keeping watch over them, and finally back at the moon above them, his mind awash with complicated feelings, displaced anger and the memory of Kiyah's face as she pleaded with him not to leave.

Okay. _Okay_.

* * *

The next morning, the two Hylian and the Zora Prince continued their way up the domain, and they stepped out onto Luto's Crossing, Sidon pointed out the Domain in the distance, "Look how close we are now! If we keep up at this pace, we'll be there in less then an hour." Douma shifted the large pack on her back as they walked further along the large bridge, with only the sound of rain hitting the luminous made bridge and their footsteps. And Link started to worry as they got closer to the Domain. The Sheikah slate hadn't activated yet, but surely the Divine Beast could sense her presence. Would they be still be safe as they got closer to the Domain, what if it attacked them with lightning again?

She looked back to Douma and Sidon as all of a sudden, her shoulder (where she had been hit by Naydra's malice) began to sting, lightly at first but becoming stronger by the moment. At the same time that her shoulder began to sting, Douma all of a sudden span on her feet, her bow out in an instant as she raised it. "We've got company." That's when Link saw it, there were two moblins approaching the three of them in the center of the bridge, one at each side.

Sidon rushed to her left, and Douma backed up to her right, firing two arrows one after the other at the one moblin she was facing as Link raised her shield and pulled out the eightfold blade. The two red moblins, carrying large blue clubs sped up as Sidon charged forward into the one in front of him, grabbing at the moblin's arms as the two struggled, the moblin unable to lift his club as it roared at the Zora Prince. "Prince Sidon!" Link called out, and as Douma fired another arrow, Link looked back at the other moblin as it seemed to look back directly at _her_. Douma grabbed Link's armour clad hand as the two ran in the other direction towards Sidon who was still struggling with his moblin. Their own moblin charged forward, lifting its club and smashing it into the ground where they had been. The large bodies of Sidon and the moblin as they struggled in the bridge forced the two to stop just before it and Link raised her weapon, pushing forward as Sidon managed to force the moblin towards them with himself behind it, her blade slashing at the moblin's back. Douma then fired another arrow, directly into the moblin's gaping wound as it howled and screeched in agony.

"Get out of the way!" Sidon yelled to the two Hylians as he lifted the flailing moblin over his head, his knees almost buckling under the weight. Douma and Link nodded at each other, seperating and moving to the either side rails of the bridge as Sidon leapt forward, hurling the entire weight of the moblin towards the other charging moblin as the two bodies crashed into other.

"Wow." Douma couldn't help but whisper quietly as Link just gasped, eyes wide as the Zora Prince breathed heavy between them. The uninjured moblin screeched as it tried to stand, the injured moblins own body still atop it, malice escaping its form. Link felt the pain in her shoulder intensify a little as she watched the life of the moblin fade and Douma lifted a hand to the left side of her face, seemingly without even realising she had done so. Then the moblin screeched again, as it too lifted the moblin's body before hurtling it over the side of the bridge to the water below them.

"That was its ally.." Link said quietly Douma turned to her, her eyes looking far too fierce as she snapped bitterly, "Monsters don't have allies. Moblins are _especially_ nasty in that regards. They'll even pick up nearby bokoblins to use as a weapon if they have no weapon themselves." Douma seemed to regain control of herself as she looked away from Link, guilt on her face, "A-anyway moblins are slow, if we make a run for it we'll be able to escape it no problem."

"And risk it following us and getting to the Domain?" Sidon said, eyeing the moblin as it approached them again, "Not a chance, there's three of us and only one left of it. We'll take it out together, just like we did the other one." Douma raised her bow again, gritting her teeth and Link raised her own weapons again. As she stared the moblin in its eyes, she felt own face started to feel warm again as time seemed to slow down around her. ( _"No not again, not now! What if the Divine Beast senses us?" | "Don't worry, Ruta has its own demons to battle, it won't bother you right now."_ ) Link tried to stop herself, but her body betrayed her as her legs moved forward. "Link!" she heard Douma and Sidon scream out behind her, but ignored it as she rushed towards the moblin. Link looked from left to right, seeing many paths she could take around the moblin to attack it, as the moblin raised its club. But all of a sudden, Douma was in front of her and Link's blue eyes widened as the Hylian woman barreled into the moblin's body, throwing the heavy pack she had been carrying into its chest.

Behind them, Sidon was stunned as the moblin staggered, trying to attack both of them at once, "Douma, stop! I can do this!" Link called but Douma turned to face her as the moblin staggered and reached out towards Link, placing her hand on the symbol of Hyrule on the child's chestplate (the two locking eyes for a moment, blue meeting black and Link seeing the determination and yet something _more_ she couldn't place in the Hylian woman's eyes) before pushing Link back towards Sidon who caught the Hylian child. With Link out of the way, Douma began attacking wildly with arrows, her movement impossibly quick as she stepped from side to side, dodging the moblin's attacks way too easily.

"Douma!!" Link cried out, the blue in her eyes vanishing in an instant as she tried to get to the other Hylian even as Sidon held her back. In an instant, Douma had climbed onto the moblin's back, wrapping the string of her bow around the moblin's neck as the two struggled desperately, the moblin slamming back against the rails to try and get her off. Douma looked up at Link's desperate face as the child tried to reach her and simply _smiled_ as she leaned over the railing, pulling the moblin back with her. "Don't worry Link, I've fought monsters worse then this one and walked away. You just focus on getting to the Domain, alright?" Douma pressed her feet to the railing as she pulled the moblin as hard as she could, the only thing keeping herself on the bridge being the weight of the moblin itself. Douma looked back at the girl, who now had tears running down from her green eyes, "There's something _special_ about you Link. If anyone can help the Zoras, it's you." Douma released her feet from the railing, as she pulled on the moblin, its body tumbling over the railing along with her. Link just screamed out, flailing desperately against Sidon as he held her securely, his eyes tightened shut as the Hylian woman and the monster fell to the water below.

Dorian made a quick signal with his hands, shifting the positions of the monster and himself, changing their positions as they fell to the water before, then kicked at the monster's chest in front of him, pushing it down faster to the water below. He then made another signal, teleporting himself to one of the small islands below the bridge just before he hit the water himself. As the moblin hit the water it howled out one last time, flailing before its form seeimgly melted away.

Above, Link desperately pushed herself to the railing, fighting against Sidon the entire way as she looked down to the water below, "Douma!! DOUMA!!" she called out desperately, her eyes looking around as the rain continued to fall around them. Dorian looked up from his island still in Douma's form, as he saw the small form of the girl and the Zora behind her. Raising his arm, he waved at her. "See Link, she's okay!" Sidon said, spotting the Hylian on the island.

"We have to go back for her." Link said, trying to pull free from Sidon's grasp again, but the Zora Prince just held on tightly. "No, I can't leave my people for any longer then I already have, I need to get back to them." it sounded cruel, but Link could tell the Zora was struggling with his choice too, "If you want to go help her, you'll have to do it alone."

The Sheikah slate was humming against her arm, and Link looked at her soldier armour's arm guards desperately. Even the voice inside was telling her to leave the Hylian. There was a job that only she could do after all, even as Link fought against the voice in her own mind. ( _"What matters more? The lives of all those in Hyrule, or the life of one Hylian?" | "How can you ask me that?" | "You need not worry. That.. Hylian will be safe. You will meet them again, of that I can assure you."_ ) Link had a feeling there was something the voice wasn't telling her, but she pushed it out of mind as she stopped resisting against Sidon, her eyes still not leaving the island where Douma had landed.

"Okay. _Okay_ , we go to Zora's Domain then." she told both the Zora Prince and the internal voice and she waved back to Douma one last time before forcing herself to leave with the Zora Prince. Down below them, Dorian waited until the two had disappeared completely from the bridge before sighing out in relief and teleporting away, dispelling the disguise as he did so. That had been far too close.

* * *

As Link and Sidon crossed the Great Zora Bridge, Link looking down dejectedly as she thought of Douma, hoping that she had been able to get back to Inogo Bridge safely like she and Kass had before, the Zora Prince instead ran ahead of her. "Here we are Link, behold the pride of my people, Zora's Domain!"

Link looked up and was amazed. The bridges leading up to the Domain had been beautiful just by themselves, delicate designs made of luminous stones that lead the way, but the very center of the Domain was even more impressive, towering circular monuments, stairs and arches all around them. And even though it was now day, the entire structure of the settlement still shone brightly. It was probably even more beautiful in the night time, when the glow of the luminous stone that had been used to build it was more potent. In the center of the Domain, stood a large towering monument of a fish.

"Wow.." Link couldn't help but gape at how beautiful everything here was in the Domain as she and Sidon stepped under the first archway and past the guards, leading to the central plaza of the Domain. As Link continued to look around, she spotted then a statue of a Zora in center of the plaza, recognising the form as the Zora she had seen in Purah's picture. Feeling a lump grow in her throat as she looked at the statue, Link stepped forward to look at it more closely, the sight reminding her of why she here in the first place. It had only been a few days at most since she had left Korok Forest, but finally at last, Link was here in the first of the places she's been tasked to go to: Zora's Domain, and as she looked to the east where the resevoir was, she felt more determined then ever to get to the Divine Beast.

 _Don't worry._ Link thought to herself, as she looked back up at the statue of the Zora Champion. _I'm on my way._


	9. Divine Beast Vah Ruta

Not long after Link found herself in the throne room with Sidon, the King and another Zora. All three of them, even the much shorter Muzu absolutely towered over the Hylian, the King being the tallest person Link had met so far on her journey. Despite still wearing her soldier's armour, Link had never felt so small. Even thought Link knew that only she could stop the Divine Beast, as she felt the weight of the Sheikah slate pressing down in her arm guards, she still felt like that these powerful Zora could probably stop it just by themselves and why they would even need a Hylian like her. Even now after so much had happened (and still yet to go), Link still truly couldn't see herself as the hero she was tasked to become.

The King peered down at her, and Link felt her back go even straighter (if that was even possible) under his gaze. "So you must be the Hylian that Sidon found and brought here. I am King Dorephan, ruler of the Zora. And, may I ask your name Hylian?" Link looked up at him, holding down the top of her soldier's helm to stop it falling from from her head as she bent her neck back to look him in the eyes, her green eyes meeting his yellow once as she swallowed down her nervousness, "M-my name is Link, your majesty."

Next to her, Muzu spluttered indignantly and Sidon glanced at him in confusion as Dorephan closed his eyes and sighed a little. "..Link, hm.." She had been expecting this for a while, ever since she had met Sidon. Link had known about the Zora tribe's longevity of course, but it wasn't until she had met the great Zora hero of Lurelin Village, Prince Sidon himself, that she finally realised what was about to happen yet again once she reached the Domain, that she would meet more people who were alive back before the Calamity struck, people who would have known her predecessor.

Steeling herself, she looked back up at Dorephan who seemed to be eyeing her with sadness in his yellow eyes. The more people looked at her in that way, the more she found those peculiar feelings inside her grow and the fears of diappointing those who had placed their trust and hopes in her. She wondered if her predecessor had felt the same way. Link stepped forward and as she did, she pulled the slate from her arm guard. There was no point hiding it from King Dorephan she figured, thankful that the the voice in the slate didn't object for once and that there were only the four of them in the throne room.

"I know. I have the same name as the Hylian Champion." she spoke quietly as Dorephan's eyes widened upon seeing the Sheikah slate (near her, Sidon's own eyes widened as he finally realised why the girl's name had sounded so familiar), "I was given this Sheikah slate--" she pulled the blade from it, "as well as this sword and told to come here. I still don't know why or what exactly I'm supposed to be doing but.." she looked back out towards the center plaza, all three Zora's eyes now on her, "But I saw it on the way up. The rain from the Divine Beast was making the riverbanks expand out. The storms are growing fiercer by the moment." she looked back to Dorephan, tears in her eyes, "I think I might have caused this just by arriving here. _But I'm going to stop it_. So please, don't mention my predecessor and just tell me about your plan to stop Ruta."

Dorephan hummed (beside them Muzu clenched his fists, shaking in anger), "I see, then we shall dispose of the pleasantries and get down to business. You see, many years ago we were told by the Hylians and Sheikah who researched the Divine Beast Vah Ruta that on the beast's shoulders are special mechanisms that control the water it generates. However, they require electricity to work. It is our belief that Ruta is out of control right now because there is no electricity coursing through them."

Sidon continued, "Of course, we have no proof of this. We had no time to test the theory since Ruta activated not long ago. We Zora are just going off the research that was provided to us a century ago. But regardless, the problem remains that Zora are terribly weak to the power of electricity. So it was decided that if Ruta were ever to activate, we would make haste and search for a Hylian who could properly use the power of electricity, specifically shock arrows to get those mechanisms on Ruta working again."

"This is all good and well," Muzu snapped beside them, stomping forwards to break up the conversation, "We Zora came up with _many_ plans that would not require the services of a Hylian. But even if you were to continue with this plan, it is rendered moot since the Lynel of Ploymus Mountain has disappeared without a trace!"

Link stared blankly at the three Zora. What did a Lynel have to do with this? Dorephan and Sidon looked at Muzu, the king looking quite stricken, "Yes. That is unfortunate. That certain Lynel has been plaguing us Zora for decades with the threat of the shock arrows it has. Then all of a sudden, it disappears almost a week ago. Now it's almost like it was never there at all."

Link jolted (trying not to think about the fact that the Zora were putting their hopes on a strong enough Hylian warrior that could take down a _Lynel_ for them). Almost a week ago.. that was around the same time she had been teleported from Lurelin to Korok Forest. Looking back on it now, so much had happened in that time that it didn't feel like six days had passed at all. Muzu turned to her, and Link felt small again seeing the anger in his eyes. Yet, she could tell it wasn't directed at _her_ specifically, it seemed that the elder Zora just disliked Hylians in general. "So unless you can magically teleport and get us some shock arrows quickly, that plan is useless."

"I can't do that.." Link said, quietly, eyeing the slate, "I was told that the Sheikah slate is damaged. It has no map and it barely had enough power to teleport me just the one time." Sidon sighed, "And It would take days on foot just to to get to a another settlement that may or may not even sell them or pinning our hopes on a peddler that could possibly sell them. We just don't have that time. The rain is getting stronger with each passing hour, it's still early days yet since the Beast activated, but the longer we wait the more the rain will continue to fill up the reservoir. We fear it might evantually _burst_."

Link looked at the sword's scabbard in her hands as she pulled the hilt out a little. "Is it.. possible we could break into the Divine Beast?" Muzu spluttered again at that, but Dorephan seemed thoughtful. Link hesitated for a moment before continuing, "My Rito friend and I were trying to get to the reservoir earlier yesterday when Ruta attacked us with its storms." she glanced back at the slate, looking at her green eyes in the screen's reflection, "But it hasn't attacked me since even though I've gotten much closer then I had before. I believe.." she thought back to what the voice said, "I believe Ruta is distracted somehow. If we can get inside, maybe I can do something there."

"It seems unlikely that it could be that easy." Dorephan said quietly, "We still don't know what kind of the ancient material the Divine Beast is made from or if any of our weapons will be enough to break through it's shell. But desperate times call for desperate measures I suppose. I'll allow an attack for tomorrow and provide you with as many weapons as we can get." he glanced over at Muzu, nodding and the council elder grumbled but walked out of the throne room. Sidon watched him leave and then leaned over to Link, "There's something else too.." he walked over to behind King Dorephan, reaching for something and the King watched him with saddened eyes. "I know you said not to mention your predecessor but.." Link saw it then, a beautiful tunic made from scales and silver. Yet for some reason she found herself breaking out into shivers and her heart sank upon seeing it, despite not even knowing what it was, "This armour was meant for him as a handcrafted gift from my sister, but we were going to lend it to the Hylian who helped us with Ruta."

"These Zora tunics have special properties." Dorephan murmured gently, "They can help the wearer swim much faster and even allow them to climb waterfalls. It would have been a great asset to our plan, allowing our chosen Hylian warrior to climb the waterfalls produced by Ruta to be able to hit the mechanisms that much easier."

"It's unlikely that we'll need this now.." Sidon was approaching her, and Link recoiled, stepping backwards. Her slate hadn't activated, there was no voice speaking to her what-so-ever, yet despair crashed over her and Link was reminded of the sadness that poured from Ruta yesterday and the tears on her face. "But if could possibly come in handy for tomorrow, would you like to borrow it Link?"

" _No_." Link heard herself spit out, a little more forcefully then she would have liked. Sidon and Dorephan could see the pain in her eyes even if she had no context for what the item was, "N-no, thank you.." placing the slate back on her side, she looked away from them guiltily. Even though the slate would be able to make it her size easily, she found she just couldn't even bring herself to look at the tunic in Sidon's hands "I can't take that, I'm sorry."

Dorephan nodded, seemingly relieved at her refusal, "That's understandable. But no matter now, you should get some rest while we prepare for tomorrow. There's an inn in the plaza where you can stay the night." Link simply watched as Sidon returned the tunic to the place he had gotten it from, nodding at Dorephan's words.

Later that night, after a small meal of seafood rice balls with some fish she had gotten from the nearby store, as Link lay comfortably under the duvet of one of the inn's beds on her side, she looked into the deactivated screen of the Sheikah slate before hesitantly reaching out and tapping the screen. In a flash, the blue Sheikah eye appeared on it and she burrowed her eyebrows as she looked at the runes, waiting for her face to warm up or for that voice to call out to to her. Something.

But the slate remained silent, no sound at all in the small inn except for the quiet voice of the inn keeper in the nearby area and the rain pattering above them. "Come on." Link spoke, as quietly as she could as she tapped the screen again, shifting it to her stored clothing, weapons and materials. "I _know_ you're there. You've been watching me all this time. I'm here now, in Zora's Domain, that's where you needed me to be, right?" she tapped the screen again, this time showing the damaged map rune. The map scrolled outwards, and she spotted the small yellow glowing dot on the large blackened area on the screen.

Sitting up and shifting the duvet slightly, Link lowered the slate to the mattress and reached out to her side, pulling out Kass' map, unscrolling it and holding it up the slate. The yellow dot matched up perfectly with her current location on Kass' map and she sighed, wrapping up the map again and placing it back on the small table near her. She lifted the slate back up to her face, tapping at the screen again to bring the runes back up and looking directly into the Sheikah eye above them, Link clenched her face as she tried to force herself into that state. "Come on." she almost begged, "Give me something, _anything_. Tell me what I have to do when I get inside the Divine Beast tomorrow." Still, nothing. Link's fingers tightened around the handles of the slate. " _Who are you?_ " She asked lowly as her forehead pressed against the screen and she curled into her side, still holding tightly at the slate as sleep took her and thankfully no odd dreams occured that night.

* * *

The next morning (officially now day seven since she had left Lurelin) Link gasped as she left the inn and what seemed like a mountain of various Zora weapons were in front of the plaza, with Sidon waiting for her by the statue of his sister, the Zora children near the plaza gaping excitedly at the pile of weapons as their parents tried to shoo them away. Link bent down, plucking a delicate looking Zora sword from the pile. Even though it was so much smaller and seemed lighter then the sword she currently had, she was surprised at just how much heavier it was then that massive blade and she held the blade outwards, feeling its weight in her hand. Alongside the Zora swords there were shields, two types of spears, a _massive_ type of curved longsword that was even bigger then her, and numerous bows. She was so grateful that the Sheikah slate could store all these weapons and seemingly had no limit to how much it could carry. Getting all these up to the Divine Beast would be a nightmare.

Pulling the slate out, she started to store all the weapons into it, before glancing over at the Zora Prince, noting he was carrying a three pronged spear, the very same one Champion Mipha had in her statue. Link headed over to him, glancing at the spear he carried. Sidon looked at the weapon, "It's only a replica that we use for ceremonies. The real one, the Lightscale Trident, was lost in Hyrule Castle when Mipha fell." He stored the spear back into it's minature scabbard and hoisted it onto his back, the long spear dwarfed by his size, "To be completely honest, I'm not sure what either it or I can do. But I know I'm going to do everything I can to support you in this fight." he grinned, the doubt seemingly washing from his face as he pumped his fist to his chest, "I _believe_ in you, Link."

As the two walked further away from the center of Zora's Domain, Link could even feel the rain seemingly getting heavier around her, glancing up into the rainclouds above them. With the Sheikah slate firmly attached to her side and the scabbard of the blade that seals the darkness plastered firmly on her back, she followed Sidon up the long staircase towards the reservoir until finally the large pool of water became visible, the large docks leading to center of it.. with Divine Beast Vah Ruta in the center. The beast was stationary again, it's trunk raised high with water spouting down from it. Like before, it still wasn't glowing but the circular part of its eye was rotating very slowly. Sidon and Link walked down the dock to the very end, looking at the large beast.

"Alright, here we are." Sidon slapped his hands to his face, steeling himself for the task ahead. "Now the question is, how do we get right up to the beast? I can swim there up to it easily, and while you _could_ ride on my back, it would make actually breaking into the beast a lot harder since you need to get as many as your weapons out as you can and you'd be clinging on to me the whole time."

"I thought about that." Link smiled as she pulled out one of the Zora shields from earlier. Sidon watched as she climbed onto the shield as if she was shield surfing, "When I was little back in Lurelin, we used to have races by shield surfing on Korne Beach. Since we're a village by the sea, the races were mostly used as a way to train us for surfing on the water. As things have gotten more dangerous over the years, the races have become less frequent, but I'm still able to surf pretty well nowadays."

Sidon gasped, "You're going to surf on my back to keep your hands free while you attack Ruta with the weapon stockpile?" Link couldn't help but grin a little, feeling a little pride in herself for coming up with such a plan, "If you don't mind Prince Sidon."

A few moments later with Sidon in the water, Link carefully stepped onto his back, keeping her feet apart on either side and bending her front knee a little like her mother had taught her. Sidon had removed the Ceremonial Trident, holding it securely in his hand in the water as Link made sure to keep her balance. "Is it alright down there?" she asked Sidon, "I'm not too heavy wearing this soldier's armour am I? I can always exchange it for something lighter if needed." Sidon just grinned back at her, "Link you saw me pick up an entire moblin yesterday. This is _nothing_." Link nodded, making sure her balance was perfect. It wasn't entirely like surfing after all, in fact it would probably be easier since Sidon would be the one controlling the 'surfboard' so to speak, instead of letting the waves do so. Still, Link thought as she looked up at the might of Vah Ruta which payed no attention to them, the real trouble would be using her weapon stockpile to slice at the beast as they circled it to make an entry. If it was even possible to break through the beast's defences that is.

Link made sure her footing was alright one last time, before calling out to the Prince below her. "Alright, I'm ready Sidon. Let's do this." The glee that radiated from the Prince was palpable, as his arms moved to his side. Link had a funny feeling that had Link chosen to ride him, he would have had to slow down his swimming speed just a touch to make way for her legs being in the water, but there was no such problem with her riding his back like this. She steeled herself, grabbing at the Sheikah slate on her side, activating it to the storage screen and holding it securely in her hand with her thumb ready to press the screen to bring out a weapon as soon as needed.

"They don't call me the fastest swimmer in Zora's Domain for nothing." Sidon called out, loudly, "I am unstoppable in the water!" Link jolted forward a little but quickly regained her footing as the Zora took off, the water around them parting as he rushed through it and towards the beast. Tapping the screen, she pulled out the first weapon, a long silverscale spear, placing the slate back at her side and holding the spear in two hands as they swam around the beast and as close as they could, before Link pushed the spear forward, slicing at the beast's side. The spear made a sickening cracking sound, sparks flying off it as it hit the strange stone like material of the Divine Beast. After a few moments, the spear snapped in two and Sidon pulled back, circling around Ruta once again as Link pulled out another spear. The circular rotating eye of Ruta seemed to stall for a moment, but not for too long as it went back to ignoring them. "Again!" Sidon called below her, as Link held up the spear and they charged in once more. Holding the spear directly in front of her, Link thrust forward, slashing at another part of the beast near where she had first slashed. She noticed as she did, that Ruta had raised ever so slightly, the first slash mark now higher then it had been when she first attacked. Again the new spear crashed against the stone of the beast, sending sparks of flying into the water below them until again finally the metal could take no more, snapping and falling into the water. Again they pulled back, Link noting this time how Ruta moved a little higher with the attack. She pulled out one of the swords this time, as they went in for a third strike.

Almost twenty minutes later, as they circled once more Link was almost out of weapons. She had tried firing off a bow with a regular arrow earlier, but the weak arrow had just bounced off the stone easily, so instead she had been forced to use the bow itself, slashing the metal against the stone. Then when she had run out of bows, she had started to use the shields instead. Ruta had raised much higher during the assault, still seemingly uncaring about the multiple gashes on its side and as the beast had gotten higher, Link and Sidon's goal had changed. No longer were they trying to pry open the Divine Beast itself, but they had spotted an opening that already existed, that was under the water. Slowly, bit by bit as Ruta raised higher, that opening was getting closer and closer, the very tip of the entrance to the beast visible under the waves. ("If it comes down to it, you could always use the Ceremonial Trident." Sidon had offered earlier, but she had refused.) She had even used her eightfold blade from Kakariko in the assault, watching dismayed as the small yet handy blade that perfectly fit her small hands broke like all the other weapons before it ( _And I really liked that one too_ she had thought to herself as the hilt of the blade fell into the water) Luckily there would have been no point in using either the shield or bow she had left as both were wooden and would do nothing to the Divine Beast. Holding the last shield, she smashed it against the side of the beast, her fingers from her other hand holding onto the very top of the entrance (her injured shoulder seemed to burn for a moment as the tips of her fingers pressed into inside of the beast but she ignored it).

The final shield sparked as it smashed against the side of the entrance, "Come on!" Link yelled out, gritting her teeth, "Move higher Ruta and let us in!" Her face felt hot, hotter then any time previously. She couldn't tell if it was because of all the effort they had put into attacking Ruta, or if the slate was doing its usual thing. Her senses were more alive then they had ever been before, aware of every water droplet that poured around her, and even the internal mechanisms of Ruta as she touched her hand to it. However, the shield smashed to pieces and Sidon yelled out as he backed away. "It's no good Link, we'll have to retreat and get more weapons, even more then we had this time."

"No!" Link called out, feeling her hand reaching out towards Ruta even as it continued to sink again, "We don't have the time Sidon, Ruta will just sink again and we'll have to start from scratch!"

"Then what do we do? We can't get in there from here."

"Yes we can, if you swim under the water we can get in!"

Sidon stared up at her incredulously, "What if it's full of water inside too? Hylians can't breath underwater like us Zora, you'd be trapped."

"I'll be fine!" Link didn't know how she knew that, but she just knew, as the slate glowed brighter, "Please, Sidon trust me!"

Sidon stared up at her, looking worried then nodded, "Okay. Get on my back properly. We're going under." Link jumped down, clinging her arms around the Zora's back and taking in a huge breath as he dove under the water towards the sinking Ruta. Reaching out with the Sheikah slate, Link tapped the cryonis rune as spears of water froze around Ruta's entrance, holding it open as they swam deeper still. Her lungs burned as Sidon grabbed onto the entrance, pushing them forward one last time into the beast as she released the cryonis rune and the door slammed shut behind them.

* * *

Link gasped out for air as the remaining water inside Ruta receded, leaving only a small amount of water that came to just below her ankles, as the rest was churned out by the Divine Beast's internal mechanisms. She weakly tapped on the slate, replacing the soaked soldier's armour with her stealth set for a moment, before replacing it back again with the soldier's armour, the metal tunic, arm guards, greaves and helmet now dry as a bone as if they hadn't swam metres under the water to get here. Sidon looked impressed as he leaned over on the hilt of the ceremonial trident. "That Sheikah slate you have there really is an impressive tool. I had heard of the one that the researchers discovered back in the day, even if I never got to see it for myself."

"Yeah," Link coughed as she stood up, placing the slate on her side again, "It's really saved my neck numerous times." ( _And it's put me in danger just as many times_ she willed the thought towards the voice in the slate, thinking of when Kass told her how she jumped off the top of Mount Lanayru). The Zora and Hylian looked around the dimly lit interior of the Divine Beast, at the black walls surrounding them, the small blue lights like the ones in the Sheikah shrines dotting the walls. "So, now what?" Sidon asked as Link tapped through the slate states again. The runes, the storage, the damaged map.. but instead of the black map with the little yellow dot, it now showed an internal map of Vah Ruta. "That's new." she murmuered, looking at the map as Sidon looked over her shoulder, "Must be because there's a lot of energy here in Ruta, powering up the slate." she spotted something on the map, a small orange dot in the room next to where they were and walked towards the entrance leading to it.

As she got closer though, her shoulder burned with the worst pain she had felt yet and she yelled, falling back and placing a hand to her shoulder as Sidon came up behind her, "What's wrong Link?"

"It's.. my shoulder." Link spoke quietly, moving the tunic a little so the bare skin could be seen. Sidon flinched at the purple coloured skin, "Is that a malice burn?" he asked, "I've heard of them, but I've never seen one in person."

Link nodded, "I got hit with malice back on Mount Lanayru. Recently I've noticed that it flares up whenever an aggressive monster gets near me, but.." Link looked back up at the blue lights covering the walls of the Divine Beast and then looked back down at the unchanging map of Ruta on the slate, still with the orange dot on it. "Vah Ruta clearly isn't possessed by the Calamity at all." It was just like Purah had said back at Hateno. Gritting her teeth with the pain, Link walked under the archway leading to the next room as Sidon followed her. They both came to a halt in their tracks as they realised what was causing the flare up of Link's malice burn.

In the center of the room lay a furnace similar to the ancient one in Hateno Village with the blue flame in it. Unlike the blue walls of the Divine Beast though it glowed a sickly familiar red, malice oozing out of the sides. Sidon lifted his spear and Link pulled out last remaining sword that had been stored in the slate: the blade that seals the darkness, which began to glow a bright blue in comparison to the sickly red.

"Ruta itself isn't corrupted.." Link said quietly, feeling a sudden angry feeling flare up from her slate. And yet, the voice behind the slate seemed not surprised at all, despite their anger. "And yet, the furnace has been tampered with." Her eyes glowed blue.

"Tampered with?" Sidon glanced down at her, still on guard, "What do you mean by that?" Despite the pain in her shoulder, Link walked forward. The sword at her side began to beep incessantly, but she ignored it, raising the Sheikah slate and placing it to the terminal at the front. Link burrowed her eyebrows as information entered her mind, "This furnace is supposed to provide limitless power to the entirety of Vah Ruta. It still does, but its been altered. It's now.. something else."

* * *

_Suddenly Link found herself in a pure light void and she span around, her blue eyes glowing brightly as called out for Sidon. The sword was gone, as was the slate. There was a person in front of her and she reached out for them, calling out Sidon's name again._

_Then the scene changed again and she was floating somewhere high in the sky. The red sky she realised, burning with its malice. She looked below her and there was a castle. She instantly recognised it as Hyrule Castle. There was screaming all around her, overwhelming her senses as she turned around desperately towards the screams. It felt like the entirety of Hyrule itself was screaming out to her to save them, and her hands covered her ears desperately trying to block out the noise._

_Again the scene changed, and was back in a void, this time a dark void of nothingness surrounding her. But she was still aware of the presence in front of her and she called out a name again, but it wasn't Sidon's name at all that she called this time._

_The person in front of her turned to face her and Link found herself face to face with the Zora Champion Mipha. The Zora's gentle yellow eyes were locked on her and she felt her face burn up even more then it already had as she reached out to the Zora in front of her. But then, the Zora's eyes changed from gentle to fearful as she backed away and Link looked down at her own hand, which was now dripping in malice._

* * *

Link gasped as she was thrown backwards out of the void and back to Ruta, the slate lifting again from the terminal. Behind her, she could feel the malice dripping from the ceiling as she turned around. Sidon followed her eyes as they spotted a figure on the ceiling, covered in the same malice that had been dripping from her hand mere moments ago. Sidon rushed forward, lifting the ceremonial trident towards the ceiling, "Halt, foul monster! You don't stand a chance against both of us!"

There was a gleam of metal in the dim darkness, and Link watched horrified as the figure on the ceiling raised a trident that looked exactly like the one Sidon was carrying. Suddenly Link knew _exactly_ what was going on here, and beside her Sidon dropped his own trident as his hands lifted to his mouth in horror. Beneath that dripping malice that covered the entire body, there was a small red hand gripping onto her weapon.

"Mipha." Sidon sounded beyond crushed as the malice infused Zora leapt from the ceiling towards her younger brother. Link shot forward, raising her own blade as the sword and the trident crashed into each other, sparks flying between them.

"Sidon!" Link called behind her as she pushed forward with her blade, malice dripping from Mipha's form as the two fought against each other with their weapons. She struggled to look over her shoulder, seeing the broken look in Sidon's eyes as he was forced to come to terms with the fact that this _thing_ in front of them was his older sister.

"You've been here, all this time." Sidon was speaking, as he looked at Mipha's form. The malice covering her was thick and glowed deeply red, but where her eyes should have been instead glowed with the same blue as a guardian's eye, "I'm so sorry Mipha. I should have come here sooner."

The creature in front of them opened it's mouth and let out a loud screeching noise that echoed in the room around them as Link felt the Sheikah slate on her side, reaching out for it and activating the stasis rune. The terrible screech died out as Mipha and even the malice dripping around her was frozen in time. Link reached out for Sidon's hands and he jolted, seemingly being brought back to reality as he looked down at her panicked face. "We need to run _now_."

"But Mipha--"

"We can't help her if she _kills us_!" Link snapped, sounding more angry then she wanted to. The anger was bleeding through the slate from the voice in it to her. She could tell how deliriously angry the voice was now, even if it hadn't spoken directly to her since yesterday.

Mipha was still frozen in time and Sidon looked at her, with pain in his eyes before running back with Link under the arch back to the previous room. The exits left and right were blocked off, the only way away from the room was a small gate opposite of where they had come. Link activated the cryonis rune (Mipha began screeching again when she did as it looked around wildly for the two) making a block of ice with the water beneath the gate as she pulled Sidon into the small room. They could hear footsteps behind them as Mipha charged back after them, but Link span around on the spot, releasing the rune and causing the gate to crash back down, locking both Sidon and Link in the small room and Mipha behind the gate in the larger room.

Mipha practically _howled_ , slashing her trident against the gate as she tried to get to them. Beside him, Sidon fell to his knees as he looked upon the corrupted form of his sister. "Mipha.." he looked over at Link hesitantly, "Can.. can she not get to us here?"

Link shook her head, watching as Mipha began to pace around the room, keeping her eyes on focused on Link through the small gate. "She can't use Ruta's powers in that state, so she's unable to use cryonis to lift the gate. We're safe here." she looked down at the Sheikah slate, noting that the angry feeling had disappeared from it again. Now it was silent again and Link couldn't help but grit her own teeth, annoyed. ( _Hey._ she willed her thoughts into the Sheikah slate. _Did you know this was going to happen? Why didn't you warn me?_ ) But again, nothing. Link fingers tightened on the slate, as she tapped her forehead to the back of it in frustration.

 _Think Link!_ She thought to herself, as she looked back up at the pacing figure outside the gate with her glowing blue eyes and then to the furnace further back, still oozing with its own malice, the glowing visible from even back here and to the terminal she had pressed the slate too. Link remembered Mipha's yellow eyes looking at her in fear, and the castle below her and shook her head vigorously. She wasn't able to get back to the terminal to see more of whatever that had been. Link sighed and sat down to the water below them, looking at the blue eye on the Sheikah slate and at her own glowing blue eyes in the reflection. Suddenly a thought came back to her of Hateno Village, of that night in her grandmother's house. That's right, this hadn't been the first time she had seen memories that weren't her own.

Hesitantly, she looked back at Sidon who was still watching Mipha through the gate, "Hey, Prince Sidon?" he looked back at her strickenly, "Uh.. this is gonna be kind of weird but.. if I go to sleep here, will you watch over my body for me? There's something I want to try out.. it might be able to help us." Sidon stared at her, "Are you even going to able to sleep here with all of this going on? We're trapped in the Divine Beast under tons of water with my corrupted dead sister's body trying to kill us." Thankfully he didn't say how much of a crazy idea it actually was, nor did he ask much details. It seemed he was still numb from the whole thing, and Link painfully knew how that felt, "I have to try." Sidon sighed and lay against the back wall of the small room as Link crawled up to him, putting her head in his lap and shutting her eyes, listening to the sound of the water around her as she willed herself to sleep.

* * *

 _She was near Mount Lanayru, looking up at the mountain from below as two Hylians approached them coming down from the mountain. The boy and the girl with long blonde hair, wearing a white dress. There were four more presences near her too: a Zora, a Goron, a Rito and a Gerudo. The five Champions and their Princess. There was a palpable sadness in the air around them._ _Daruk called out as the two Hylians finally stepped under the arch, meeting up with the four. "Well? Don't keep us in suspense. How'd everything go up there on the mountain?" Zelda stopped in her tracks. She looked beyond miserable as she shook her head in defeat. Revali then stepped forward, "So you didn't feel anything? No power at all?"_

_Zelda clasped her hands together in front of her, looking down, "I'm sorry, no." Behind them, Urbosa quickly took charge, "Then let's move on. You've done all you could. Feeling sorry for yourself won't be of any help. After all, it's not like your last shot was up there on Mount Lanayru. Anything could finally spark the power to seal the Calamity away. We just have to keep looking for.. that thing." Mipha clasped her own hands together, mirroring the Princess and glancing slightly over at Link as he looked at the Princess._

_"That's kind of you." Zelda spoke quietly, but Link herself could feel the despair coming from the Princess as she continued to look down, away from them. Mipha spoke out, "If I may.." Zelda looked up at the Zora Princess as she stepped forward, "I thought you.." she stopped for a moment, seemingly struggling with her words before speaking up again,"Well, I'm not sure how to put this into words.. I'm actually quite embarassed to say it." all the Champions were looking at Mipha now. "But I was thinking about what I do when I'm healing. You know, what usually goes through my mind.. it helps when I think.. when I think about.." there was a pause in the air, and Mipha's fingers tightened as she took in a deep breath, before looking up into Zelda's eyes, "When I think about wanting to protect someone I dearly love."_

_The memory then shifted almost violently, to the five Champions arriving at Hyrule Castle. Leaving the castle at the same time was a Sheikah who wore the uniform of a royal guard. The Sheikah looked almost the spitting image of Champion Link, except for his red Sheikah eyes which lit up as he approached Zelda, "Princess!" Link jolted as she recognised the instrument he was carrying: it was the exact same instrument that Kass had, the concertina._

_Zelda smiled despite the utter saddness the entire group was feeling, the five Champions keeping their distance from Zelda and the Sheikah. "Hello Sheik." Zelda said quietly, "I'm surprised you're here. I thought your brother was keeping you busy at the lab." Sheik rolled his eyes a little at that, "Robbie's always having me do errands for him these days. He says he's far too busy to retrieve paperwork himself, despite the fact that he needs it for his work anyways." he then made a pose, pointing his hand in the air with his forefinger and thumb pointed out. Zelda didn't respond and Sheik looked at her sadly, "Hey, Zelda, you alright? You usually laugh when I make fun of Robbie's silly poses."_

_"Sorry Sheik." Zelda apologised, "I need to go speak with my father as soon as possible." The Sheikah immediately tensed, looking away ashamed, "Ah, I'm sorry Princess. You must be in a hurry and here I am wasting your time."_

_"Not at all Sheik. I always have time for one of my oldest friends." Link couldn't help but notice the little flinch on Sheik's face as Zelda spoke quietly, "We'll have to catch up later when you're not busy."_

_"Of course!" Sheik's face lit up, "We've both been so busy recently, we haven't had time at all to just talk like we used to." and the Sheikah's eyes drifted over to Link for a moment, an envious look in his red eyes at he looked at the back of the Hylian's head, before looking back at Zelda. While the others had been keeping their distance, Mipha's yellow eyes watched over the Sheikah and the Hylian as they spoke quietly between them, her own eyes shifting between the two and Link._

_The memory shifted again. Now all five Champions and the Princess were on the path around the back of the castle, Zelda speaking with a nearby soldier before returning to the five Champions. "My father's waiting for me in his study."_

_"Little bird," Urbosa spoke out, placing her hands on Zelda's shoulders, "The five of us were speaking, and we will gladly come with you, if you would like us too." but Zelda shook her head, "No that's alright, I wish to speak to my father by myself. But thank you all for offering."_

_The four Champions looked at each other resigned to the fact as Zelda approached Link, taking out the Sheikah slate as she did so. Link herself looked at the slate, seeing how really different it was: Zelda's slate was smaller in width, but chunkier then the one she had. And like Purah had said, it had only one handle. "Link.." Zelda spoke out, "Please, can you take this with you? I don't want my father to see it." the silent knight nodded, taking the slate as Zelda turned away to head towards the library. Before she left though, she spoke out one last time to the five Champions, "Lets.. lets all meet up later in the courtyard, yes?"_

_"Very well, little bird."_

_"Of course, tiny princess!"_

_"It would be my pleasure, princess."_

_"Oh, perhaps we could take a picture again on the slate like we did before?"_

_The silent knight just nodded and Link herself noted as Revali glared a little at him. The five Champions and their Princess seperated as the quiet breeze swept over the castle and Link watched as her predecessor headed up the path towards the very top of the castle. She reached out towards to follow him, but felt herself being pulled in another direction as she followed Mipha who was heading further south into the castle, past the first gatehouse and down towards the guards chamber, the loud noises of many soldiers coming from the barracks. Mipha took a deep breath then entered the barracks, looking around for someone._

_Spotting a soldier who was away from the crowd, she approached him and Link realised it was the same man she saw in her dream back in Hateno, recognising the scar on his left eye. Her predecessor's father, now much older then he had been in her dream. He looked at her and smiled fondly, "Hello Champion Mipha. What brings you to our barracks at this time?"_

_"I was hoping I could speak to you, Sir Link." She jolted, more surprised then she ought to have been at the realisation that yet another person here was called that name. "Of course. I always have time for my son's oldest childhood friend." Link could practically feel Mipha flinch at the familiar words, as the two stepped out of the barracks, looking into the clear sky._

_The memory shifted a little further and now Sir Link, the knight, was staring at Mipha incredulously as if he was seeing a whole new side of her. Mipha's entire face flushed as red as her scales as she looked down, embarassed, "You.. you want to marry my son?"_

_"Only with your blessing!" Mipha spoke out, her voice a little high, "I.. I know this seems sudden but--"_

_"Sudden?!" Sir Link laughed and Mipha looked up at him. There was a lightness in his voice. He had seemed so stern before, but now he seemed so happy. "Mipha, you've known Link for years! Sudden isn't the word I would use at all." he looked embarassed as he looked to the side, "That wife of mine will love this, she tries not to play favourites with you Champions, but she always loves when you come visit us in the town." he stepped forward, placing a hand to Mipha's shoulder, "We would love it if you were to join our family Mipha. Unfortunately, my son can be quite oblivious to matters of the heart, thanks in no small part to my own actions but.. I know he cares deeply for you. Find your courage, and let him know."_

_The memory shifted the most violently so far as Link staggered back and found herself above the castle, red clouds of malice swirling around her once again as screaming erupted around her once more. It was almost too much, compared how to quiet and serene the previous memories were and as much as she wanted to force herself awake, she forced herself to stay in the memory even as her hands crawling over her head. The unbearable screaming from all around. It was so painful to her, all these people who she couldn't save._

_"Sir Link!" Mipha's voice pulled her back to the memory as she looked down towards the two figures. Mipha's hands were glowing blue as she desperately tried to heal the soldier. But.. Link could see the blood escaping from his body as he lay face down, and knew it was too late. He had been struck by a guardian laser full on. To protect her, it had seemed. Pain and deep sadness erupted through her, as Mipha sobbed into his body, her voice suddenly all around Link as she sank back into the dark void._

_"I'm so sorry!"_

_"I said I would always heal you, but I've failed."_

_"I couldn't protect you."_

_"Where are you Link?"_

_"I couldn't protect anyone."_

_"Sidon."_

_"Father."_

_The memory shifted one last time, and suddenly she was back in Vah Ruta, looking outwards impassively among the Lanayru region, even as the malice covered her form inside the altered furnace and seeping outwards from it. That's when Link spotted herself, riding on Kass' back as she approached the Divine Beast. Mipha's sadness grew even more so as the looked upon the Hylian and Link watched as her own features seemed to shift, taking the form of the Hylian Champion, her predecessor. "Link?" Mipha's called out, her voice choked with malice as she tried to reach out to him, pulling herself from free from the furnace._

* * *

Link awoke with a start, stirring in Sidon's arms and the Zora stretched out a little as she did. "How long was I out for?" she asked. "Not sure, maybe an hour or two? It's hard to tell here to be honest." Sidon sounded a little better now, despite everything that had happened. He'd had time to reflect she supposed. Link looked out of the gate, seeing that Mipha's form had disappeared. Seeing the panic in Link's eyes, Sidon spoke, "She went back to the other room a while back. I think she might have forgotten we were here. Possibly because she couldn't see us anymore." Link then noticed they had moved to the very corner of the little room, on the other side away from the gate. It was as Sidon had said, Mipha likely couldn't have been able to see them anymore. Even the most aggressive monsters gave up evantually if they couldn't spot their target for a while. "Have you got a plan Link?" Sidon asked as they stood up and Link nodded.

* * *

In the other room, Mipha's corrupted malice infused form was looking down at the trident the Zora had dropped earlier in confusion, then looking back at her own trident. Behind her, Link and Sidon crept quietly under the arch. Link nodded at Sidon as the two seperated, both going around the back of the large room, their own backs right against the walls as they moved closer and closer towards the furnace. Mipha thankfully still hadn't spotted them, her blue guardian like eyes focused on the two weapons as she used her own trident to lazily move the one laying in the shallow water. As soon as she was the closest to Mipha she possibly could be, Link pulled out her blade and rushed forwards, slamming the blade into Mipha's trident before Mipha could register what happened. Mipha let out a small shriek and fell back as the trident fell from her hands and Sidon rushed forward, picking up both weapons at once, dual weilding the two tridents as he charged for Mipha who now had no weapon and fell back defensively, malice dripping from her form. "Now Link!" Sidon called as Link rushed forwards to keep Mipha from advancing as Link approached the furnace, lifting the Sheikah slate and pressing it to the terminal once again.

* * *

_The black void enveloped her once again and Link welcomed it, now fully aware of the malice dripping from her own form as she stepped forward. Her face strangely felt cold compared to how warm it had felt in the real world as her blue (familiar almost to how they were back when the Sheikah slate activated but not quite the same) guardian like eyes looked around the nothingness that spread around her. "Mipha! Champion Mipha are you here?" she called out as she stepped forward into the darkness._

_There was a presence here, but she could somehow tell it wasn't Mipha. Pushing forward more into the darkness, Link reached out blindly before the presence appeared. There was a small child in front of her. She recognised the clothing the being wore as the traditional Sheikah clothing they wore in Kakariko. Link felt her face burrow in confusion as she looked at the Sheikah child. Was this Kass' teacher possibly? Why would he be here? Or perhaps her own memories were bleeding into this world and this was a memory of Koko or Cottla? She reached out to the form and as the child started to turn slowly towards her, its form suddenly and violently disintegrated into ash._

_Link jumped back in shock, staring stunned at where the form of the Sheikah child had been as even the ash vanishied into the darkness beneath her, before shaking her head. She had no time to think about what that had been, she had to focus on the task ahead of her. Link headed forwards again in the darkness and slowly, but surely a voice began to call out to her (no, not directly to her) quietly: "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."_

_"Mipha?" Link called out, reaching in front of her in the darkness. She could feel Mipha's sadness all around her and tears sprang from her own eyes, even underneath all that malice that was on her. She could sense Mipha near her, but not exactly where she was. Then a light seem to come on, a dark red that was fitting in the darkness around them. It was the furnace again from Vah Ruta, but this time it had been altered. Instead of the furnace with its three prongs raised upwards and the terminal coming from the front of it, the prongs had been ripped open violently, as they glowed with red energy. Inside the furnace itself, it seemed to have been flattened out, making it look.. almost like some sort of bed? And laying in the bed, covered in the malice just as Link was, was Mipha who was curled into a ball._

_Link bent down to her form, reaching out to touch her shoulder. The Zora Princess was unresponsive and the furnace around them glowed hotly with its red energy. "Princess Mipha." Link called out, her voice gurgling with malice, "Please, I need you to wake up. Your brother is in danger. Hyrule itself will be in danger too, if the dam breaks from Ruta." But the Zora Princess remained in a catatonic state, seemingly unaware of Link being right there. Link stood back up, looking around at the terminal. She didn't have the slate with her here, but she reached out to touch the terminal anyway with her malice infused hand._

_Again, Mipha's memories flittered into her mind, stronger this time as Mipha's emotions bled through her: the five Champions and the Princess at Mount Lanayru, the conversation the Princess had with the Sheikah at Hyrule Castle, the five Champions and the Princess as they seperated, Mipha speaking with Sir Link, and Mipha sobbing over his body. As the final memory flashed in her mind, the sadness around her seemed to grow more unbearable and Mipha curled into her ball even tighter on the makeshift bed._

_Gritting her teeth, Link looks down at her malice strewn hands. This wasn't helping at all. The malice might not have been painful here in this form, but she still wanted it off her all the same. Link reached out to the darkness envloping her and pushed her mind forwards still, to that light void that had existed when she had touched the slate to the terminal the first time. She knew it was there, she just had to find it. Closing her blue eyes, she thought about Hyrule itself and the inhabitants of it who she was fighting for. Sidon who still now fought against his sister's corrupted form. Douma the Hylian girl who had taught her about elixirs and fought alongside her. Naydra the dragon who's gifted scale she still had stored in her slate. Purah the elderly Sheikah locked away in her lab. Bolson her dear father's childhood friend in Hateno. Paya (her soft thankful smile when Link gave her the beloved heirloom back). Impa her eyes stricken with grief as she thought of those who she had to leave behind. Kiyah the Sheikah woman her fought her own demons constantly and yet was still so kind to all those she met. That kindly old man too and the meal they shared in the forest. Kass (oh Kass): the Rito minstrel who had secrets still yet. Her grandmother back in Lurelin, still now watching over the forgotten Goddess Statue._

_Link felt her face warm again as the light void enveloped her, the malice itself seemingly shrieking as it melted away her form. She could feel that she was back to normal, as she looked over herself, sensing even her own normal green eyes. Link looked back to the furnace where Mipha still lay, wrapped in the darkness still and reached out to her. "Mipha!" she called out desperately reaching out to the Zora Princess, "Please, think about your friends and family! They wouldn't want you to suffer like this!"_

_"But I've failed them all." Mipha's voice gurgled out, "Everyone's gone."_

_"No, not at all! Your brother Sidon is still out there, fighting for his life even now. Everyone in Zora's Domain, your father too, they've been thinking of you all this time Mipha!" Link reached out desperately, her fingers touching the malice that seeped from the furnace. The tips of her fingers burned and she reeled back a bit in pain, but still kept her hand outreached towards the Zora Princess. "I'm going to save your friends too! Daruk, Revali, Urbosa." she suddenly realised with horror, that the other Champions too were likely in the same state that Mipha was in. "I won't let them suffer any longer! I promise, I'll save them! But first, I need to save you!"_

_"..Why?" Link froze, looking at the Zora Princess, whos blue guardian like eyes were now locked on her from her place on the bed. Even though the voice was Mipha's, they weren't **her** words. "You don't know us. Why would you risk your life for us?"_

_Link laughed in disbelief, "Why does anyone in Hyrule need a reason to help another life if they can? You're Champions aren't you, didn't you take an oath to protect Hyrule? I may not have been there one hundred years ago, but I understand that--" she reached out to Mipha again, "I may not know what I'm doing half the time, I may not have chosen this path myself, but.." with tears in her eyes, Link reached out again ever as her fingers burned against the malice as she tried to take hold of Mipha's hand, "I don't care! I'm going to save you! I'm going to save you all! So please, trust me!!"_

_Mipha looked up from her bed and as she did, one of her blue eyes seemed to melt away, showing the yellow Zora eye underneath it. Timidly at first, as if she didn't want to truly believe it, but then more firmly as she pushed back at the malice, Mipha pressed her own hand out towards Link even as the dark void tried to choke her back. Link pushed back with her own bright void, ignoring the pain as the malice tried to choke her back. Tears filled Mipha's eyes as the Zora and the Hylian desperately fought back against the malice._

* * *

Meanwhile back in Ruta, Sidon was fighting back as hard as he could as the malice infused form of his sister charged at him again. Crossing the two tridents in front of him, he slashed at some of the malice, causing Mipha to screech out and back away, before charging in again at a different angle. She'd been trying to take back one of the weapons for a while now, but Sidon wasn't letting her get any closer, always managing to keep at a distance while also keeping Mipha away from the furnace, which Link was still connected too. Mipha suddenly slammed into Sidon from above and the Zora Prince winced as some of the malice dripped down onto the crossed tridents in front of his chest and onto his wrist's in particular. It stung bitterly, but he fought back regardless, looking at the blue guardian like eyes right in front of his face, "Come on Mipha!" he had been trying to call out to her numerous times as they fought, despite knowing deep in his heart that it would do nothing, "Are you really going to let this.. thing control you? You're stronger then this!"

Sidon pressed the two tridents forward, pushing Mipha back, his size and the weapons he held giving him a clear advantage as they struggled. Still, Mipha's blue eyes bore down on him as the Zora let out a small unrecognisable gurgle. Sidon grit his teeth and pushed back, slamming his sister's body against the interior walls of Divine Beast, holding her head down with the two tridents as she struggled against him. "Please Mipha!" he could hear himself begging, "I don't want to hurt you!" Mipha's head raised up again slowly as her chin pressed forward between the two tridents and she gurgled out again, much clearer then before, "Si.. don.. I.. believe.. in you.." The Zora Prince couldn't stop the tears from running down his cheeks, pleading for Link to hurry.

* * *

_Back in the void, the light and darkness thrashed for control, as Mipha and Link reached out for each other. The malice was still almost desperately clinging back to the Zora, tendrils of it wrapping around her arm trying to drag her back into the makeshift bed in the furnace. Link grit her teeth and pushed back even further one last time, pressing her hand into the tendrils itself as she grabbed onto Mipha's fingers, her light pushing back at the dark void. And Mipha in turn, emboldened by Link's determination, closed her eyes for a moment as she steeled herself, a few tears shedding from her eyes (thinking of Sidon, of her father and of her beloved Link as she did so) before opening them again, now both eyes returned to yellow as she pressed forwards one last time and their hands clasped together, forcibly rejecting the malice that pulsed around her as the light void spread all around the Zora Princess and the Hylian child.._

* * *

Mipha shrieked out in agony out as streams of red light started to escape her form and Sidon threw himself back away from her as the Zora collapsed to her knees, the malice now dripping away from her body. Behind him at the furnace, Link shuddered heavily before pulling away from the furnace, her eyes still glowing hotly blue. Link turned to look at Mipha's form, still shreiking horribly as more and more streams of red light burst from her before, finally.. the malice was gone completely, from both her and around the furnace itself. Mipha remained upright on her knees for a moment still, before collapsing forwards into the shallow water, Sidon watched his sister, breathing heavily even as still the tears rolled down his cheeks. "Is.. is it over?"

Behind him Link gasped out as she staggered, the interior of Ruta and the now blue furnace spinning around her. Her face felt far too hot as the Sheikah slate slipped from her fingers to water and she collapsed against Sidon who rushed for her as she passed out, falling to the ground alongside Mipha.

* * *

_It was dark again. The light void had vanished once more and Link was wandering forward. But this time the darkness wasn't choking her, instead it felt almost comfortable if a little lonely. There was a person in front of her and she looked up to see the Hylian Champion who smiled sadly at her, as he reached out and ruffled her hair a little. Link could feel as if the older Hylian was thanking her somehow, before he suddenly vanished. Link turned around and called out for her predecessor, but he did not return as she remained in the lonely darkness._

* * *

Back in Zora's Domain, Muzu had been pacing along the bridge leading to Mikau Lake constantly for hours as Gaddison watched from afar and the rain still poured fiercely around them. Gaddison looked up into the sky, holding her spear as Muzu continued to pace, "This is taking far too long." the elder Zora murmured as he looked back up at the reservoir once more. "We should get up there and find out what's happening. If we lose the Prince too.."

"Muzu." Gaddison stood in front of him, blocking the way to the reservoir behind. "You heard King Dorephan's command. There's nothing we can do but wait." Muzu let out a small tsk, but returned to his pacing once more. Then a few moments later, the sound of the rain around them was shattered as a loud noise broke out, the cry of the Divine Beast so loud that is resonated through the entire Domain. Gaddison and Muzu looked up as the sun started to shine brightly down on the Domain, the rain that had started so suddenly just a few days earlier now gone as quickly as it had started. Behind them, Seggin and a few of the other elder Zora were heading up the bridge towards Gaddison and Muzu and the Zora guard clenched her spear tightly. What was with these brazen elder and their disregard for their King's rules? She blocked the path towards the reservoir again firmly as they tried to get past her. "All of you, get back to the Domain this instant, that's an order!"

"What are you all doing?" a voice called out and Gaddison looked behind her as Sidon walked down the stairs, his back bent over a little as he walked. Resting on his back was the unconscious form of the Hylian girl, Link, who shared the same name as the Hylian Champion. Muzu felt a terrible pang of guilt go through him as he saw her passed out form, "Is.." the Zora elder, asked out hesitantly, "is she alright?" the other elder Zora went quiet, stepping back onto the bridge as Sidon approached his fellow Zora, glancing back over his shoulder at the Hylian girl and smiling softly, "Yes, she's fine. Just out cold, it was rough up there for a good while on Ruta but.." and they could see the tears forming in his eyes as he smiled widely, "Everything's alright now."

And then, slowly Sidon turned around behind him towards the stairs, reaching his hand out, "Come on now. Everything's alright now, everyone just came out here to make sure everything was okay, but I know they all want to see you too." Gaddison dropped her spear, her hands moving up to her face in shock as another figure hesitantly walked down the stairs, joining Sidon and the passed out Link and holding her trident firmly in her hands, the Zora Princess and Champion Mipha looking out among the elderly Zora who all broke into sobs at the sight of her, alive and well, right in front of them. Mipha just smiled warmly at all their shocked but happy faces. "Hello everyone, it's wonderful to see you all."


	10. The Ceremonial Song

Over the next few days, Link remained almost catatonic as she slept in the inn. She would wake up occasionally, thrashing in her bed as if still fighting inside the Divine Beast, while the innkeeper Kayden and his wife Kodah rushed over to get her to drink some water which she would somehow manage to drink, before passing out in the bed yet again. They had managed to remove her soldier's armour a while ago, clothing her in some simple but far too big Hylian garments that a fellow Zora had managed to get from a traveller on the road near Inogo Bridge, the metal armour now stored securely in the inn. The deactivated Sheikah slate however, which wouldn't even react to the alive Mipha's presence, was safely secured in the throne room, along with the sword that the girl had held. None of the Zora had even wanted to touch even just the scabbard itself, knowing of the rumours that surrounded the blade. But Mipha had evantually taken the blade herself (despite the elder Zora begging her not too) and it seemed that their worries were for nothing as she placed the blade's scabbard next to the slate behind the King's throne, as the blade did not attack anyone who held it who wasn't its Chosen Hero.

King Dorephan had wept so terribly when his eldest daughter was brought in front of him, alive and well. And had broken down even more so when Sidon had explained what had happened in the Divine Beast. Of course, Zora medics had looked over the Princess thoroughly over the next few days as Sidon himself left for the Woodland Stable to inform the Rito Kass about what had happened with Link. But the Zora Princess was completely unharmed, not even a single malice burn on her despite Sidon's accounts of how she had been covered head to toe in the stuff. Even Sidon himself hadn't walked away that unscathed, two awful purple burn marks now on his wrists. And even now, despite the danger of Ruta towards greater Hyrule being passed, Zora's Domain still remained off limits. They had to protect the comatose Link now until she finally awoke and the Zora children who usually played in the center plaza would come to the inn every now and then to check if the Hylian girl was alright.

Sidon had returned the other day, after having given his message to the Rito who he had offered to come stay at Domain. But Kass had refused, saying he had to leave for Kakariko to inform the Sheikah elder there about what had happened in the Domain. He had also agreed with Sidon and Dorephan about keeping the fact that the Zora Champion (and likely all the other Champions as well) were alive for now, except for those already in the know like Impa and Purah. Kass' plan was still to meet Link in Akkala evantually and to meet up with the other Sheikah researcher Robbie, before heading up to Death Mountain to the next closest Divine Beast Vah Rudania.

In the center plaza, with the sun shining brightly down on Zora's Domain, Mipha was looking up at the statue her fellow Zora had erected of her over the last century, having just returned from the inn to check on the still sleeping Hylian. Even now days later, the Zora elder still would still break into tears when they spoke to her. They had believed for so long now that Mipha was dead, that seeing her in front of them still seemed like such a miracle. It was something Mipha, surprisngly, found she wasn't able to process very well. Even her little brother Sidon seemed to be avoiding her, leaving the Domain as much as he could on errands and even when those were complete, doing his usual tasks as normal, checking to make sure that no monsters appoached the Domain. Sidon had seemed so happy when he brought her down from the reservoir, but later as the Prince explained to their father exactly what had happened in Ruta, Mipha was horrified at the events: she had had no recollection of any of it. The last memory she had before waking up was fighting back against the Calamity in Hyrule Castle alongside the other Champions. As she had closed her eyes, trying as hard as she could to think about what had happened since them, she found instead of memories surfacing, she could remember _feelings_. Or rather, one long feeling of total despair, drowing her in its unbearable sadness until she had felt another presence reaching out to her. Link, she had realised later on. Not her Link though, instead this girl from Lurelin Village. Still, as Mipha had watched the sleeping face in the inn, she was taken aback by just how similiar they looked, this girl and her fellow Champion. In fact, this girl looked almost the spitting image of Link when he had arrived in the Domain, not long after he had pulled the sword that seals the darkness himself.

Mipha pressed her forehead to the handle of her trident. It had felt like just yesterday when she had been back in the castle with the other Champions. She still remembered the gentle breeze of Hyrule's winds around her as the five Champions and their Princess headed up to the castle, and the soldiers in the castle around her (Sir Link's smile after she had told him of her wish to marry his son). She shut her eyes, her fingers tightening over the trident (the smell of blood as it oozed from his body after he had rushed in front of her, raising his soldier's sword and shield as a guardian's laser aimed right for her, even as she had begged him not too). It was hard to come to terms with that it had been almost a century since then, but she had taken one look at Sidon's form, who now towered above her, after she had come too in the Divine Beast and realised that _something_ had happened, although she hadn't known the exact details until Sidon had explained in the throne room.

It wasn't even like she _wanted_ to remember attacking her beloved little brother, but perhaps.. if she were to remember something, _anything_ , it could give some insight about what happened up there in the castle. She remembered evantually fighting alongside Revali and Daruk who she had met up with in the castle, and while Urbosa wasn't with them directly, the soldiers who still lived around them had mentioned she was still alive and fighting elsewhere in the castle, giving orders to the Hyrulean forces. She remembered Daruk yelling about why it wasn't the King directly giving orders to the soldiers, Revali asking about Zelda and even herself asking if any of them had seen Link, but they had been distracted as the guardian lasers around them intensified and they continued the assault. The three of them had evantually been seperated from the soldiers, but still continued to fight alongside each other.. but after that, her memories just _stopped_.

She had returned to Ruta a few times since returning to the Domain. The ancient Divine Beast had seemed almost hesitant itself as she had reached out to its presence. It seemed Ruta had been keeping her corrupted form locked inside as much as it could and Mipha had apologised to it profusely, even now still she couldn't remember doing, reassuring Ruta that everything was fine now. (But it wasn't fine, she had realised later with a heavy heart. If this had happened to her, then likely Daruk, Revali and Urbosa were also..) She shook her head to dispel the fear that was mounting in her. Mipha had been fully prepared to die against the Calamity if it came to that, that was true. What she hadn't expected was to be corrupted just like the guardians had been back in Hyrule Castle. Evantually she had made her way to the highest point of Zora's Domain, the small pond between Zodobon Highlands and Ruto Mountain (Muzu and Seggin had followed her there when she went) to look out towards Hyrule, and specifically towards the castle as it was the best vantage point to see it from the Domain. Even from so far away, she could tell how badly the castle had been wrecked, even now as the ghostly like malice swam around it. Mipha had looked down at her hands then, wondering still now just how she had survived. The malice was terrifying after all, even Link and Sidon had been burned by it. But not her.

Even now, as Mipha looked at her statue, she wondered just what she could even do. She still remembered the plan from almost a century ago and how they were unable to implement it back then. The four Champions had been seperated from their Divine Beasts. They had returned to the castle to support Zelda after all, leaving their respective Beasts back in each of their homelands. Then, when the Calamity had struck all of a sudden with all six of them in the castle, they had been unable to leave to get to their Beasts, instead chosing to fight in the castle alongside the soldiers in however way they could. Mipha had wondered if she should just get along with the plan herself, to try and fire at Hyrule Castle, but her father said there would be no point, at least for now. Hyrule was safe at the moment, despite the attacks of increasingly aggressive monsters on the Hyruleans, the Calamity hadn't attacked anywhere else in Hyrule for decades. And that for now, Dorephan had said, keeping Mipha's survival and Link's goals secret were imperitive.

So, in Zora's Domain, Mipha had remained. She looked up at Kodah came running out of the inn, "She's awake!" her childhood friend called out to the Domain, "Link's awake!!" There was a rush as many Zora tried to get into the inn, even as Kayden tried to push them back. Sidon jumped down from the platform above, ducking his head to get into the inn as Mipha approached the crowd. The Zoras quickly noticed her and parted away (the elders yelling at everyone to let her through) as she thanked them, entering the inn along with her brother. Sitting up in the bed, drinking heavily from a pitcher of water with Kodah nearby and the innkeepers's daughter Finley watching from the other room, was Link. Sidon approached her slowly. "You alright Link? How are you feeling?"

"Awful." Link croaked out as she placed the pitcher down, "How long was I out for?"

Sidon hesitated a little, "About four days?"

Link jolted at that as she tried to get of the bed, but Kodah reached out for her as her knees buckled and she fell into the Zora's arms. "Four days?!" Link cried out, "I was already at Mount Lanayru by then! I could have already finished in Goron City by that time, and started on my way to Rito Village!"

"No you _couldn't_." Sidon said firmly, "The reason you got around so quickly before was because other people were helping you." Link looked up in surprise at Sidon's words, "I've heard from your Rito friend, Kass. You had a horse to get you from Kakariko to Hateno, and Kass helped you to get the rest of the way to the Domain. You saw how long it took just to get us up to the Domain without any kind of support. Travelling the rest of Hyrule will not be as easy as it has been so far."

Link thumped back in the bed on her back, sighing out. "I know. You're right, I'm sorry." Sidon sat on one of the other beds, finally able to sit up straight as his head wasn't hitting the ceiling of the inn as Mipha approached Link, slowly. The Hylian girl looked over at her from her place on the bed, and there was no surprise at all in those green eyes as she looked at the Zora Princess. "Mipha." Link croaked out.

"Hello Link." Mipha smiled, clutching her trident to her, "It's nice to finally officially meet you." Link's stomach then growled loudly and the Hylian girl blushed, looking away. Kodah got up, heading to the cooking pot as Mipha smiled, "You're just like him when it comes to food as well I see."

Sidon glanced at Mipha, frowning a bit as Link turned to face her again, "..You're talking about my predecessor right?" Mipha nodded at that, noting how the atmosphere in the room had changed. "..Sorry, did I say something wrong?"

Link smiled and waved a little, "No it's fine.. I just.." she looked down at the palms of her hands, her green eyes taut, "I don't know how I feel about him. The Hylian Champion seemed to be such a great and beloved hero and I'm just.. some kid from Lurelin who happens to have the same name as him."

Kodah returned, holding a blue bowl full of soup. Link's mouth almost watered as she smelled the creamy seafood soup, looking over at the Zora as she placed the hot bowl on a wooden serving tray before placing the tray in Link's lap on the bed along with a spoon, "Try not to rush." Kodah spoke gently, "We're not sure if you can handle too much in your stomach after being out of it for so long."

Link nodded, taking the spoon and filing it up with a small portion of soup. She could spot chunks of swift carrot and hearty bass, mixed heavily with the fresh milk that made the broth and rock salt to flavour it. Apart from the rock salt itself, all the other ingredients were not sold in the local shop here in the Domain. They'd gone out of their way to find ingredients in order to make one of the seafood dishes from her home of Lurelin, and even chosen something that would be a lot more gentler on her stomach like soup instead of something heavy like fried rice (which would have been a lot easier to make, as they did indeed sell Hylian rice in the store). Willing herself not to tear up, Link blew on the spoon to cool off the liquid before sipping from it. The soup was just as delicious as she remembered. The hearty bass in particular, while being a fish she wasn't particarly used to (as in Lurelin they mostly only fished for the porgy variations) the moment she bit into it, it seemed to revitalize her immediately. Link ate the soup slowly, until the bowl was practically clean, and looked back at Kodah, "Thank you, that was delicious."

Kodah just smiled in response, "It was no problem at all." she took the serving tray back and spoke quietly to the Hylian, "Well, perhaps it's not my place to say it, but we Zora _do_ believe you're a hero Link." she glanced back at Mipha, "You brought our Princess, who we believed to be dead, back to us after all."

"That's right!" Sidon bellowed out as he jumped back up from the bed, almost whacking his head against the ceiling again. Both Mipha and Link jumped a little as he did so, "And you saved our home from possibly being flooded! This calls for a celebration!" his eyes lit up, "I know! We should have an impromptu Champion Festival!"

Kodah giggled a little, "Sidon, we only just had one on the anniversary a few months ago. It's too early for another Champion Festival now." Mipha and Link just looked at each other in confusion. What was the Champion Festival?

"Then we'll start a new Champion Festival!" Sidon said, pumping his fist to his chest, "In honour of both my sister and our new hero Link!" Sidon was not to be deterred as he charged out of the inn and up towards the throne room, his loud chant of "ZO! ZO! RA! RA! RA!" still able to be heard inside the inn as he did so.

"Kodah.." Mipha spoke, quietly, "What is the Champion Festival?"

"Oh right, you weren't here for that." Kodah said, sitting down on the bed where Sidon had been before, "The Champion Festival is an event we hold every year on the anniversary of.. well.." she hesitated a little, looking at Mipha apologetically, "what we assumed was the date of your death. It's why we had the Ceremonial Trident created after all, since your Lightscale Trident went missing along with you. All the Zora head up to Vieled Falls, and we would celebrate your life and tell stories of your brave deeds. Then we would have the children practice their swimming up the waterfall there carrying their own spears as they did so, as if they were you. Then later, we would all come back to the Domain and have a feast. We managed to turn such a tragic event into a joyous day beloved by our children just to honour you Mipha."

Mipha's face felt hot as she clutched tighter to her trident. Behind the two Zora, Link sat in her bed in stunned silence. Maybe it was more of a Zora thing, but she couldn't even imagine having a celebration for her parents on the anniversary of their death, even if it _was_ more to celebrate their lives then their actual deaths. Resting her hands back on the mattress, Link pressed her bare feet to the ground as she tried to stand again, now that she had some food in her. Her knees buckled a little again, but leaning on the bedside table helped as she finally stood up right. Looking to her side, she noticed a certain Sheikah slate missing and couldn't help but panic a little. Somehow though, she could still sense it near her even if it wasn't on her person and forced herself to relax. Link turned to Mipha, "Where's the Sheikah slate?"

"Oh, we decided to keep it along with the blade back in the throne room. We thought it would be safer there while you rested here in the inn." Mipha spoke out. Link understood that, nodding, but found it strange how she felt more naked without the slate then her soldier's armour set. Speaking of which, Kodah returned after a moment, carrying the garments: the tunic and greaves folded up to the best they could be with the boots and helmet laying on top.

"Can you walk alright?" Kodah asked as Link found her footing on the ground, timidly taking a few steps and testing her balance. "Maybe you should rest a little while longer, Link. I don't think there's any necessary rush in getting to the next Divine Beast."

"Yes." Mipha nodded, "After all, it's not like I remember anything from back there in Ruta." Link looked at her, a stunned look in those green eyes, "But they're suffering. You don't want me to save your friends as soon as possible?"

"I _do_." Mipha said gently, "Of course I do. But not at your expense. I know you'll save them, Daruk, Revali and Urbosa, evantually. But look how badly you were injured just saving _me_. Both you and Sidon." Link looked away, guilt in her eyes. "Link." Mipha stood up and walked over to the girl, taking her hands in her own, "It's as my father said, we're not in immediate danger right now. The most important thing right now is keeping you safe and this secret."

Link jolted at that. With everything that had happened on Ruta, she had completely forgotten about her secondary mission, to keep the sword and slate secret. "..The whole Domain knows about me now, don't they.."

"They do." Mipha apologised, "But everyone here is determined to keep your secret. It will be very easy for us to do after all, since the Zora are so closed off from the rest of Hyrule and the Domain is still off limits to travellers."

Mipha looked down at Link, "..I tried to heal you before, you know." Link looked up at Mipha's yellow eyes, "On day two we were starting to get concerned about how long you were spending asleep, so I came in here and tried to use my healing power on you. But my power didn't work at all. I've never met _anyone_ I couldn't heal before." Link thought back to that last memory, of Mipha trying to heal the Champion's father, who had already passed by then and wondered what that meant for her. "Your predecessor.." she looked back at Mipha, willing herself not to tear up as she saw the pain on Mipha's face, "..he wanted to save _everyone_ , even at a cost to himself. Link closed himself off from the world in order to be their hero. I don't want to see that happen to you." Mipha clasped her hands together, placing them over her heart as she looked into the distance, "I don't know what happened to him. It's possible he perished in the castle. Or maybe not. Maybe he survived somehow and he's out there somewhere in Hyrule.." she looked down, "..althought by now I suppose he would be.."

"Not at all!" Link said, maybe a bit too loudly, "My grandmother, she was alive during the Calamity and she's still alive now." Mipha looked a bit hopeful at her words, "Well its not _too_ uncommon for a Hylian to live that long I suppose, even if you don't have as long lives as us Zora." Still, she didn't look like she truly believed it and Link figured as much. From what she had seen in Mipha's memories and knowing the limited things she knew about her predecessor, it was unlikely he would have just left after the battle and settled down somewhere. It's likely he would have never stopped trying to fight the Calamity.

* * *

Later as Link found herself back in the throne room again, with the Sheikah slate secure on her side again, having stored the blade into it once more and wearing her soldier's armour again (she returned the Hylian garments they had obtained for her, they were unnecessary after all with the armour she currently had) she watched as the Zora excitedly moved around outside the throne room as they set up for the Champion Festival.

"Father," Mipha spoke out, turning to Dorephan, "is this really.. necessary? Should we really be celebrating when there's still so much more to be done?" Dorephan glanced over at his daughter, "Probably not." he agreed, "They're all just so happy you're here Mipha." the King smiled, "As am I."

Link took off the slate again, tapping the screen to make sure everything was okay with it, scrolling between the runes, the storage, the damaged map-- she froze all of a sudden, looking into the screen with wide eyes. "The map." she spoke out, amazed.

"Link?" Mipha spoke out as the two Zora looked over at her and Link reached out with her palm and scrolled upwards as before the two Zora and the Hylian, a projection of the entire completed map of Hyrule was placed before them. It was all there, from Faron in the south east, to Akkala in the north east, to the far reaches of Hebra to the north west and Gerudo Desert in the south west. "Oh.. oh wow." Mipha gasped as the three looked at the entire completed map of Hyrule, even as the two Zora couldn't understand the ancient Sheikah text that covered it.

"This wasn't here before." Link said quietly. "The map rune was completely damaged." she reached out and tapped the projection where Zora's Domain lay and the yellow dot that showed her location. Link focused for a few moments, cleraly struggling for a bit, before her eyes turned blue as the two Zora stared at her. That was better, now she could read the ancient Sheikah text on the map. Most of the Hylian settlements that existed today didn't exist on the map, although Zora's Domain, Goron City, Rito Village and Gerudo Town still did (for some strange reason, she noted that Gerudo Town seemed to be much further north then on Kass' map, just north west of Karusa Valley while all of the other settlements seemed to be in their usual respective area). Kakariko Village was much further away then its usual place as well, being in the region of Akkala. There was another settlement Link didn't recognise to the east of Lake Hylia, but the word on it.. she could read it just _fine_ , but had no translation for it in modern Hylian. This map was so confusing. Why provide a map at all if it was so different from today's Hyrule? Link reached out for Kass' map again unscrolling it and raising it to compare to the map in front of her. As she did though, the projection seemed to reach outwards, scanning the map in front of her and she watched amazed as the map glitched out a little before showing the updated Hyrule, despite the fact that Kass' map wasn't complete.

"How astonishing." Dorephan muttered, "Those ancient Sheikah really were something else, weren't they?" Link gasped out as her eyes flickered between blue and green before she lost the state entirely, staggering back. Mipha rushed for her, "Link! Are you alright?"

"Yeah." Link reached out, rubbing her eyes. "Guess I won't be able to do that for a while. Or maybe it's because I tried to do it _myself_ that time.." she murmured, mostly to herself.

"Link, what _was_ that?" Mipha asked.

"I'm not sure." Link admitted, "There's this--" she stopped, looking at the slate as it beeped a little in warning. "Oh, so _now_ you want to talk to me?" she spoke out loud, feeling frustrated as the map and the entire slate deactivated and she placed it back on her side, looking at the two Zora apologetically. "I'm sorry. Seems there's still some things I'm not allowed to tell people even now." Dorephan opened his mouth to speak, before Sidon came running into the throne room, looking excited, "We're all set up for the Festival! Come on, let's all go to Vieled Falls together!"

* * *

Link followed from behind with Mipha as what seemed like the entirety of the Zora people except for the guards south (Rivan and his daughter Dunma) and east (Gaddison) of the Domain headed up to Vieled Falls. There was such excitement in the air, and Link was reminded of how close everyone was in Lurelin. She supposed it was the same for all settlements in Hyrule, to know everyone in the area. Except possibly Hateno. With how massive that place had become over the last century, it was probably impossible to know everyone in that village now. There was a Zora child singing in front of them "A gift from the sky, a scale of light, splits the feet of a Veiled Falls sight, your trial awaits, it's glowing bright~" as Sidon led the way to the waterfall west of the village. "Here we are!" Sidon called out as he spread his arms out, with the sun shining brightly over them. The Zora children giggled as they jumped into the shallow water and began swimming as the adults and elder Zora began to make a circle around a deactivated Sheikah pedestal.

Link looked at it and her heart sank a little. She hadn't been using the shrines at all so far, only going to the ones in Korok Forest and Kakariko out of obligation (the Kakariko one in particular she regretted the most, as it had alerted that that Yiga blademaster to her presence). She hadn't touched the one in Hateno she had spotted near her grandmother's old home, nor the one here in Zora's Domain. To be honest, she didn't really see a point in doing them, despite knowing she would probably enjoy the puzzles inside. To do so would take time out what could be used to get to the Divine Beasts. It would also leave a trail of where she had been, which was the exact _opposite_ of what she had been asked to do.

Reaching out, she tapped the Sheikah slate again, bringing up the map and looking down at it on the screen. With the map now repaired, she was reminded that there was supposed to be a teleport system in this thing. Maybe that would be repaired next after Rudania. It would be great if she could just teleport to Rito Village and not have to travel half way across Hyrule, which would probably take _months_ on foot. Shutting her eyes for a moment, she willed her thoughts out to the voice in the slate. She knew she wouldn't be able to teleport for now, but at least show her where she could teleport to once it was an option. Opening her eyes again slowly, she looked down onto the map and it seemed the voice had been lenient towards her. There were now many orange dots scattered all over the entirety of the map, and even the ones in Kakariko and Korok Forest that she had already done still remained orange. And look, there was two right near Rito Village _and_ Gerudo Town as well. She sighed out, thankful for once towards the voice. There was even one in Hyrule Castle itself, although instead of orange it glowed the same dark red as the furnace had in Ruta. It seemed that one would be unavailable even after the teleport system evantually came back online. ( _Of course_ , she thought to herself, _because it can't be that easy I suppose._ ) Looking over the map again, she noticed that the Great Plateau, where the old man had said he was from had no orange dots what-so-ever. At her thoughts though, all the orange dots immediately disappeared and there was a feeling of disapproval through the slate. ( _Come on, can't you just tell me what's going on instead of being all secretive with me? I'm trying to help you too, you know. | **No.**_ ) The voice went silent again. That was that she supposed, placing the slate back on her side as she joined the Zora in the circle.

What followed was a large outburst of excited Zora telling their favourite stories of Mipha, who looked extremely embarassed as she sat in the circle alongside Link. Then they moved onto Link herself, and Sidon spoke out an extremely exaggerated version of events of what had happened on Mount Lanayru with Naydra that made her seem like much more of a hero that she had felt like on that mountain ( _Thanks Kass_ , Link thought glumly to herself even as she flushed hotly and Mipha smiled at her apologetically). Sidon had probably had this idea for a while, and had asked Kass for some kind of story he could tell the other Zora. It seems Kass had only told him the bare minimum though, hence the exaggeration. Thankfully, Sidon did not mention the malice burn on her shoulder, even though he knew that's where she had got it from her own words previously, and she was quite grateful for that. Even now, she could see the small purple marks on his wrists from his own malice burn in Ruta and felt even more guilty.

As the Zora Prince finished the story, he looked back to the waterfall that crashed behind them, "But enough of stories, now let's practice our swimming up the waterfall!" the Zora children cheered at that and began to line up as the Zora elders got up and started to head back to the Domain, and some of the Zora adults swam up to the top of the waterfall themselves to make sure everything was okay on that end. Then, one by one, each of the children began to swim up the waterfall. Some of them struggled of course, and a Zora adult would help them up the rest of the way. Once the children reached the top of the waterfall, they would leap from it along with an adult to make sure they were okay as they would swim back down the waterfall. Mipha smiled at the sight, seemingly lost in her own memories and Link couldn't help but smile herself seeing the Zora Princess so happy. Mipha was extremely pretty, and she wondered how her predecessor had managed to be so oblivious to the Zora's feelings for him.

Next to Mipha, the Zora child who had been singing earlier tugged a little on her blue Champion sash. "Champion Mipha!" the girl asked, "Can we see you climb the waterfall as well?" Mipha smiled at the girl, "I'd be more then happy too once you're all finished with your turns, of course." And the Zora girl beamed as she took off for her turn on the waterfall. Evantually all the Zora children were done and they all waited below as Mipha stretched out a little, aiming out her Lightscale Trident before taking off, swimming up the waterfall at a speed only Sidon himself could match. The Zora children gasped out and even Sidon smiled as he watched his sister climb the waterfall. Once she reached the top Mipha leapt out, twirling in the air before gracefully landing at the top. The children cheered as Mipha waved down at them.

Then she took off again, twirling in the air once more as she descended down the waterfall, her feet seemingly sliding down the water itself before leaping out from the waterfall. The children continued to cheer around them but Link heard a gasp and turned to Sidon who was now watching his sister with fear in his eyes. The Zora Prince's entire body had tensed up. Link knew that look in his eyes. It was the same look she had when she had seen the guardian in the shrine at Kakariko. She rushed to him, reaching out for one of his hands comfortingly, "Sidon. _Sidon_. It's okay.. everything's okay now." Sidon was practically shaking, his other hand over his face as he sank to a sitting position behind the pedestal while Mipha was completely surrounded by the children. Mipha looked up away from the children, seeing Link and Sidon as her face contorted in worry. The Zora adults had noticed too and they hurried away the children back to the Domain who thankfully hadn't noticed themselves as Mipha remained where she was, keeping her distance from her younger brother.

"I'm sorry.." Sidon blurted out as he continued to shake, "I tried to make this a good day for the Zora, but.. I can't stop thinking about what happened back in Ruta. I _know_ it wasn't your fault Mipha. I _know_ that but.."

"I hurt you." Mipha said quietly, looking at the malice burns on Sidon's wrists, "You're my baby brother. And I _hurt_ you."

"No!" Sidon spoke out, even as his voice stammered, "No you didn't! It wasn't you, it was the Calamity!"

"It doesn't matter. It was still my body, even if it my mind wasn't there at the time." Mipha shook her head, "It's completely understandable that you were traumatised having to fight me Sidon, so take all the time you need to recover. I'll keep my distance from both you and the Domain, I'll stay in Ruta for as long as you need, I have everything I need there." Link looked between the two Zora siblings as tears filled her eyes. She could tell how close the two had been before the Calamity struck, and now their relationship had been wrecked. She wouldn't allow anything this to happen again, even if she had to taken on the other Champions all by herself.

* * *

After Sidon had returned to the Domain, the guilt still visible on his face, leaving Link and Mipha alone at Vieled Falls, the Zora Champion looked over at Link apologetically, "Before you leave Link, I wanted to show you something." The two climbed back up the waterfall, with Link using the cryonis rune to make a staircase of cryonis blocks leading all the way up the waterfall (Mipha looked impressed as she did so) and the two made their way around the back of the Domain through Upland Zorona and towards Toto Lake. As they approached the lake, Mipha pointed out to Akkala in the distance, "Can you see it Link?" she asked, "That great monument in the distance, that's Akkala Citadel."

Link gasped as she looked upon it. Of course, she had heard about Akkala Citadel. The Hylian architecture was the last of it's kind in Hyrule, after the Calamity had more or less destroyed Central Hyrule and all of its settlements. She had been told how the last remaining soldiers had evacuated here all those years ago. How they had waited with their cannons, believing this to be the end. And yet, the guardians had never followed them this far, remaining mostly in Central Hyrule. Over time, an occasional single guardian had somehow managed to make its way up here, but never got that far as the descendents of those soldiers fired the cannons down on it. Now all that remained were a few guardian corpses littering the way to the Citadel. Even the banners for both the royal guard and the Hyrulean army still decorated the architecture leading the way to the Akkala Parade Ground below the Citadel, although the banners themselves had gotten worn down over the many years that had passed.

"Link and I used to come up here frequently back in the day." Mipha said quietly, as she looked out over the region of Akkala, "Of course, as a solider he was frequently travelling betwen the Castle and Akkala Citadel. That was how we first met, when the a troupe of soldiers first came to the Domain to rest for the night, while on their journey to the Citadel." Link continued to look out at at the Citadel as she continued, "And I know just how the Hylian soldiers can be. I'm worried they might stop you if you go on the regular path past Ternio Trail and over the Akkala Span Bridge."

"But I'm Hylian. Surely they won't see me as a threat?" Link asked.

"No, but they will ask questions about why a twelve year old is wandering Hyrule by themselves. Questions you won't have the answers too. The Hyrulean soldiers were much more smarter then people gave them credit for, even back then." Mipha glanced at Link's worried face, "They might just take you to the Citadel, if only just to protect you. The soldiers are like that." she smiled a bit sadly, "Link and his father were like that too."

"What should I do then?" Link asked, looking back out at Akkala. She knew she had to meet up with Kass _somewhere_ in Akkala before heading up to see the other Sheikah researcher Robbie in Akkala Tech Lab all the way up in the north. She peered out to see if she could see the Tech Lab from here, but it was too away.

Mipha pointed down below the waterfall, "I think you should head west over the trio of Sokkala Bridges, and then follow the path over Kaepora Pass and through Torin Wetland until you reach Southern Akkala Stable. To reach Northern Akkala Stable would be far too long just for one trip and take you all the way through the night, but if you head through Torin Wetland you would get to Southern Akkala Stable long before nightfall while also skipping all the checkpoints into Akkala, and then you can head through the western path through Shadow Pass on the next day to all the way up the Tech Lab."

Link tapped on the Sheikah slate to bring up the map, pressing her finger down on the screen to create a pathway through all the areas Mipha had mentioned, and drawing a star where the Tech Lab was as the Zora nodded and the sun began to descend in the distance, "When you're all ready and fully healed, just let me know and I'll take you down the waterfall." Link just looked into the beautiful region of Akkala, the red leaves of the trees there blowing gentle in the wind as her determination flared up again, with her new goal in mind. Then, she looked out to the west, and seeing Death Mountain in the distance, she thought of the Goron Champion Daruk. ( _Please just wait a little longer._ she thought looking out at the volcano. Beside her, Mipha followed her eyes looking out to the volcano too, likely thinking of her friend as well. _I'll be there to save you soon enough._ )


	11. Spring of Power / Akkala Tech Lab

Now two weeks exactly since she had first left Lurelin, Link awoke in Southern Akkala Stable, having arrived there the previous evening. She had paid for a bed and a meal (noting how her supply of rupees that Kiyah had given her was getting rather low) and had headed for the comfy stable bed shortly after eating. With Link's head under the duvet, she looked into the screen of her slate, keeping the screen dim with the lanterns of the stable above them as she looked into her remaining supplies. She was getting rather low on food ingredients, but completely reveled in monster part acquisations as well as arrows, having gone lizalfos hunting with Sidon the day before she had left the Domain. Lizalfos horns, talons and tails filled her supplies, as well as bokoblin horns, fangs and guts that she had managed to get here in Akkala while travelling to the stable. Link was starting to become really good at archery, she had noted as she managed to snipe at a Bokoblins head even as it rode its horse while she had hid behind a rock wearing her stealth armour. She had thought briefly about catching the Bokoblins horse herself, as getting a horse of her own would certainly help travelling around Hyrule better, but as she watched the now free animal run into the distance, she found she was content to just let it live freely in Hyrule's wilds, continuing her path to the stable.

Just as Mipha had said, there were no soldiers here in the back end of Akkala. The wars that Hyrule had fought long ago from the eastern sea were long gone, and the soldiers were focused primarily on keeping Akkala safe from possible guardian attacks from Central Hyrule, so the path towards the stable had been relatively free of many others except for the few travellers and merchants on the path that she had met on the way. And speaking of merchants, when Link had finally arrived at the stable the previous evening, she immediately spotted the one merchant Douma had mentioned before. It was pretty obvious the moment she saw him, the short Hylian with the _massive_ backpack shaped like a beetle that was even bigger then him. She had looked at his wares and the merchant had a pretty impressive collection: all types of butterflies, darners, lizards, frogs as well as the crickets that roamed Hyrule's plains and fireflies that had seemed to swarm Kakariko back when she had been there. Although, he had none of the beetles that his pack was designed after. Link quite frankly didn't have the rupees to splurge out on them, as the merchant Beedle charged quite highly for them, and he had left shortly after for the East Stable ("Even with it getting so dark?" the stable keeper Dmitri had said, "Potential customers are everywhere, I always have to keep moving!" Beedle just yelled out as he left the stable) but she noted to see if she could grab some bugs from him at the East Stable when she finally reached it the next day before she had fallen asleep.

Now it was the morning, and as Link headed to the cooking pot just outside the stable, she noted a Hylian woman with a brown bowl cut hair style was sitting on the other side, stirring in the pot. Link sat on the other chair, waiting for the woman to finish cooking as a lovely sweet smell from the pot reached her. The other Hylian glanced at her, "Sorry, I'm almost finished cooking here."

"That's okay I don't mind waiting." Link said, and the Hylian child couln't help but peer into the pot as the concoction took a more solid form and she lifted the baked item from the pot. "What is that you're making by the way? I've never seen anything like that before."

"Oh this?" The Hylian took a handful of small pink berries from her bag, sprinkling them on the baked item, "It's a Wildberry Crepe. I managed to get some Wildberries from a merchant the other day. They're really rare, they only grow in areas where it's really cold after all, so you can't get them here in Akkala."

With the pot now empty, Link took her own ingredients, first the rice (the other Hylian handed her the ladle she had been using previously), breaking it up and mashing it down into the heat of pot. Then she took some rock salt, sprinkling it on the two slices of raw meat to season it, then moving the rice to the sides of the pot to take it off the heat before adding the raw meat directly to the bottom of the pot, right atop of the flames. The meat sizzled as it cooked and Link used the ladle to turn it over to cook on the other side as she reached for one of the bowls the stable left for patrons near the pot, ladling the cooked rice into it, then taking the cooked meat slices and placing them on top. Finally she sprinkled a little more rock salt on top. The other Hylian looked at her meal impressed, "Wow, you're a pretty good cook for a traveler so young."

Link flushed a little, embarassed (it was only a simple meat and rice bowl, a basic staple of Hylian dishes) as she began to eat at her bowl. Next to her, the other Hylian was still watching her, her own meal seemingly ignored. As Link continued to eat though, she heard footsteps near her and looked up just in time to a group of Hyrulean soldiers approaching the stable. Link almost choked on a bit of meat as she dropped the bowl of meat and rice, trying not to look too suspicious as she headed quickly back into the stable. It was relatively empty inside the stable this morning, with the travelers and merchants outside the stable getting ready to leave, and Link quickly replaced her own soldier's armour for her traditional Lurelin clothing. The stable keeper Dmitri looked over at the soldiers as they approached the front of the stable, "Is something wrong?"

One of the soldiers called out to him, clutching his soldier's spear "We had reports that there were monsters close to the stable here last night. With the weather turning again, we thought it best to come and check everything was okay this morning."

"The weather turning.." one of the Hylians in the stable frowned, "does that mean there will be a blood moon soon?" there were a few worried murmurs around the Hylians as Link left the stable and edged closer to the Hylian woman who was still by the cooking pot. Maybe she could make it seem like they were traveling together, so she wasn't seen as suspicious.

"It's looking more and more likely." the Hylian soldier replied, "Although it likely won't happen for a few days more yet." There were murmurs between the Hylians again, some saying they might head for the nearby Shadow Hamlet Village. Others asked if they could stay at the Citadel until the blood moon was over.

"Well, I can understand your concern." Dmitri spoke out, "But all my patrons were safe here last night. No monster attacks here." One of the soldiers, a young blonde haired man who wasn't wearing a soldier's helm glanced over to the cooking pot, spotting the young woman and the child who moved closer to her still.

"I see." the soldier nodded at the the stable keeper, "Well, we'll be sure to come check on you a few more times until the blood moon passes to make sure, anyway." Dmitri sighed, looking at his spooked patrons. The stable keeper didn't really have much a choice in the matter, being so close to the Citadel, but it was pretty bad for business here. "..Thank you." he said, nodding to the soldiers as they headed back for the Citadel. The blonde man was still looking at the two Hylians and his captain glanced at him, "Come along Nell. We need to get back to training."

"Y-yes sir!" the Hylian soldier, Nell took his eyes from the two Hylians and followed the other soldiers back up to the Citadel. Beside the Hylian woman, Link let out a relieved sigh she hadn't realised she had been holding in. The Hylian woman looked down at her sympathetically and Link realised she had been clinging onto the woman's arm, falling back a little embarassed, "Sorry.."

"It's okay kid." the woman chuckled a little, "The soldiers here in Akkala are so intense with their checkpoints back on the Akkala Span Bridge, I think all of us here get pretty spooked by them. It's funny though, with that armour you were wearing earlier, I actually thought you were one of them for a moment." Link blinked, "Is it.. uncommon for non soldiers to be wearing the soldier's armour?"

"Hm." the Hylian woman poked at her chin a little, "No, not at all. Many Hylian travelers wear the armour all around Hyrule for better defence against monsters, just not here in Akkala because of the presence of the army here." that explained the looks Link had gotten from other travelers yesterday as she had made her way to the stable. Link looked to the ground where her bowl of meat and rice and fallen to and her heart sank. The bowl had cracked as it had hit the floor, the half eaten food now spilled all over the ground. That had been the last of her ingredients too.

The Hylian woman looked at her sympathetically, then handed her the baked Wildberry Crepe she was still carrying, "Here. You can have this." Link stared, "Ah, no that's okay, you made that!" The woman laughed, "It's fine! I have more then enough ingredients to make another one. She placed the crepe into Link's hands, not taking no for an answer, "Go on, you can have it." Link swallowed, she must have had such a pitiful look in her eyes as she looked at the smiling Hylian woman, muttering out a little 'thank you' before bringing the baked good to her mouth. The crepe was still warm, and lovely and sweet. The berries themselves were tart and flavourful, but not too sour when combined with the cream on top of the crepe. In not long at all, Link had completely finished off the crepe while the Hylian woman was busy making a new one.

The Hylian woman glanced up at her, "I'm Nobo by the way."

"Link.." she muttered as she sat back down on the opposite chair.

Nobo nodded, "Where are you headed too Link? I was hoping to get to the East Stable today, but I'm not sure if that's a good idea alone.. the monsters around here will be getting more aggressive now.." she looked up at the sun above the Akkala sky. It was still early morning yet. Link's eyes lit up, "I'm going to the East Stable too. Maybe we can go together?"

"Are you sure?" Nobo looked at Link as she stirred the ladle in the pot, "I'm not much of a fighter, I wouldn't be able to protect you." she sounded embarassed at that, that the child was likely a better fighter then the grown adult but Link found herself mirroring Sidon's pose as she pumped her fist to her chest, "Don't you worry about that." she'd managed to grab a couple of handy traveler weapons from the monsters yesterday, "I've gotten pretty good at fighting monsters as I've been traveling Hyrule." Link smiled widely, "I can protect you!" Nobo looked at Link, and there was a sad look in her eyes that Link couldn't place.

* * *

Less then an hour later, Link and Nobo walked through the mass of red and orange trees through Shadow Pass past Ulri Mountain, Link a few steps ahead and Nobo a few steps behind, the Hylian woman watched the girl, now clad again in soldier's armour and carrying a traveler's sword and shield. Her eyes narrowed a little as she quickened her pace a little to catch up to the girl who suddenly stopped her arm outstretched, "Look Nobo!" Link said quietly as Nobo stopped and Link crept forward a few steps towards a tree. A moment later, she turned to face Nobo grinning. Held between her thumb and forefinger was an energetic rhino beetle. "It looks just like that merchant Beedle's pack!"

Nobo was impressed, despite herself. The soldier's armour was full of metal and was loud and clunky, but the girl had manaed to grab the beetle (which was one of the more harder critters of Hyrule to catch) without a stealth elixir or proper clothing to muffle her noise. Link looked at the beetle in her hands, "These kind of beetles are all over my home of Lurelin Village. I've gotten pretty good at catching them over the years."

Nobo smiled, "You should keep that. I've heard that merchant goes mad for them, you could probably trade him for something good." They continued their path forward again and Nobo internally readied herself as she crept behind Link again, only for a bokoblin's shriek to pierce the rustling of the trees. In front of them, a Hylian woman was being attacked. Link rushed forward immadiately to help (Nobo groaned internally, resisting the urge to put her hands in her face as she rushed ahead too).

A few moments later, with the bokoblin dead, the Hylian Chabi sighed out, "Well you sure made that simpler then it would have been otherwise. I should do something to thank you, I suppose." as she handed Link a small purple bottle. Nobo blanched at the sight of it, and Link looked at it confused. "That's monster extract. I got it from a traveler not too long ago, said he got it from a guy called Kilton. I've been trying to meet this Kilton for a while, but he's really elusive."

"What's.. monster extract?" Link hesitated a little, rolling the bottle in her hands before looking closely at the purple liquid inside. "It's a a special flavouring for food!" Chabi beamed. "I've heard its made from monsters." Nobo said, deadpan.

"Well.. yes." Chabi said quietly, "That's the rumour anyway. I mean, it _is_ in the name after all." Link pocketed it anyway, thanking the Hylian. She was running out of ingredients, so anything would help. And perhaps it would come in handy sooner or later. As Chabi returned to her camp and they waved her goodbye (Link warning her about the upcoming blood moon before they left), Nobo kept one eye on the Hylian behind her and the other on Link in front of her as the two continued down the forest of Shadow's Pass. Then they passed a Gerudo traveler. And a Goron not long after, as they finally left the forest and entered the final open path towards the Stable ahead.

Dorian (in his disguise as Nobo) was now at his limit. He had not gone and made a false warning to the Hyrulean army about a monster attack at the stable (which had worked to his advantage perfectly as the soldiers were on edge anyway due to the soon approaching blood moon) and then planned everything so well all so he could travel with the Hylian Hero, just to have everything else go horribly wrong the moment they had entered the forest. With the sun blazing in the distance, and now them out in the open, Dorian knew he couldn't just drop his disguise and attack out right. There were too many travelers around, and word would evantually get around that a Yiga blademaster had been spotted all the way in Akkala. He couldn't allow that to happen. Glumly, Dorian resigned himself to following Link from behind. It didn't matter, the girl was still a long way away from reaching Gerudo territory. He'd seperate away from her again once they reached the Stable and head back home. He had more time to plan and to figure out his next move. Then before him, Link seemed to stop all of a sudden, looking to her west.

Dorian stopped himself, glancing over. There was nothing there except the abandoned Ordorac Quarry. Link seemed frozen for a moment, before, slowly, she walked towards the Quarry and away from the path. Panicked a little, Dorian followed quickly from behind, "Ah, Link..? The stable is that way.." Link turned to face him, and Dorian stepped back. Her eyes were glowing blue, just like they had back on Great Zora Bridge. He hadn't thought too much of it then, being distracted by the moblin attack going on around them, but now as he looked into those blue eyes, he could sense something behind them. A strange almost but not quite connection to his own Yiga style magic. Link spoke, but her voice sounded etheral, "There's something down there, I have to go see." She turned around and followed the path down to the Quarry.

"There's nothing down there!" Dorian said as he rushed after her, "Just the old abandoned Spring of Power!" Then he saw something that made his blood run cold. A single guardian in the middle of the Quarry. But it was different from the stalkers that ran across Central Hyrule field and near the castle. It flew above them, sending a red beam of light below it as it seemed to track the Quarry. And yet, it was so much smaller then the skywatchers that covered Hyrule Castle. "Link!" Dorian whispered quietly, as the girl seemed to pay the guardian no mind, keeping her back to very back walls of the Quarry as she made her way around it. Dorian watched stunned as he followed her. Wasn't this kid supposed to be deathly afraid of guardians? How had this single tiny turret like guardian even gotten here? Weren't the Hyrulean army supposed to be on the lookout for guardian activity? He looked over at Death Mountain in the distance. Perhaps it had come from there? Gritting his teeth, he followed Link towards a tunnel covered in vines as Link walked through to the Spring of Power. Dorian rushed after her, ready to dispel his disguise at any moment. He had no weapons in this form. It was true what he had said, he had no way to defend himself unless he used his windcleaver and Yiga magic. As Dorian walked into the small clearing, a feeling of disgust spread over him as he found Link looking up into a statue of the Goddess. Of _course_.

But ahead of him, Link walked around the statue towards the small waterfalls in the back. As she reached out, a pathway seemed to open up in front of her as Dorian saw a shrine in the back as Link approached the shrine. "Link--!" Dorian rushed forward, but as Link stepped into the little cave, the door seemed to snap shut in front of him, leaving Dorian alone in the Spring of Power.

* * *

When Link came to consciousness again, she found herself in a familiar looking combat shrine similar to the training one from Kakariko. "Nobo?" she called out, turning around, but the Hylian was gone ( _Of course she isn't here_ , Link thought to herself _only I can enter these shrines after all_ ). Struggling with herself, and her lack of memories yet again about what had happened earlier, Link pulled the Sheikah slate from her arm guards where it had hidden previously. The slate was deactivated, the voice from it silent as another voice called out to her, "Hero."

Next to her all of a sudden, was a Sheikah monk. Link yelped a little as she stepped back, the Sheikah monk looking at her impassively. The previous monk she had met in Kakariko had had a covering over his face, but this one did not. She could see how ancient and practically rotten their forms were this close. Her Sheikah slate beeped a little. ( _"That is a terrible thought for a hero to have." | "I'm sorry.. I mean, it's not like I said it to his face?" | "Hrmm."_ )

"Y-yes?" Link said as she stood upright.

"I am Tutsuwa Nima, and I have a combat trial prepared for you hero."

"Uhh.." Link stammered a little, thinking of the mini guardian back in Kakariko, "I was told the combat trials would be taken out? Because of my fear of guardians I mean.."

"I was not informed of this." Tutsuwa said, his face unchanging as he looked out into the room, "Excuse me for a moment hero." the monk disappeared, teleporting back to the box where his true body was, not the projected form that he had brought out to converse with her. Link sighed as she sat down on the ancient Sheikah floor, crossing her legs and placing her chin in her hands. "Oh, and I don't really have any weapons for this either." she called out to the monk, "I destroyed almost everything I had just taking out Ruta." after a while, the monk returned, dropping a bunch of blue glowing energy like weapons to the floor: a sword, a spear, a giant axe and a shield.

"I have heard from my bretheren regarding you. Unfortunately, as this is the trial connected to the Spring of Power, I cannot in good faith stop the combat trial. But I will not bring out our guardian scout. Instead, I will fight you myself."

"So.. like the training shrine?" Link asked.

"No." Tutsuwa replied, glancing back at her as the projection made its way to the center of the room. "I will be going all out in this fight. I cannot kill you and you cannot kill me. But treat me like you would any monster out in the open fields of Hyrule." the monk pointed to the shallow water around them, "You will be allowed to use cryonis to defend yourself. Once you are used to the weapons, come join me in the battle arena."

* * *

As Dorian paced in front of the Goddess Statue, he would look up at it bitterly before pacing again in front of it, "Do you _enjoy_ this?" he wondered aloud, "Forcing a child to fight for you against some ancient immeasurable evil." Dorian clenched his fists, "Do you _know_ what happened to your precious previous heroes? Do you even _care_?" The statue did not respond of course and Dorian brought one hand to the left side of his face, scratching down on the skin as it burned, even in his disguised form and his own hatred burned inside of him as he cursed his ancestors.

* * *

As Link walked out into the center room, holding the blue sword and shield (they were extremely light to hold, even more so then the sword that seals the darkness likely because they were made out of the Sheikah energy rather then any actual metal), with the slate at her side ready to use cryonis at a moment's notice, she steeled herself as she looked at the Sheikah monk in front of her. Tutsuwa was carrying both a blue sword and shield of his own as Link approached him, "Are you ready hero?" Link nodded, bending her knees and thinking of her teachings back in the Kakariko shrine: side hop, perfect dodge, backflip, flurry rush, shield parry, charge attack. The teachings repeated in her mind over and over again. It was quiet for a moment, and then Tutsuwa thrust his weapon out at her and Link gasped as she jumped backwards, avoiding it. It was too quick of a jump, she wouldn't be able to flurry rush like this. Grasping the slate, she exchanged the sword and shield for the spear instead. Maybe it would be better to attack from a distance. Link ran around the back of the monk as he turned far too quickly, raising his shield up as Link struck forward, her spear forced backwards as Tutsuwa defended. Link staggered back a little, gritting her teeth. Ahead of her, Tutsuwa pulled backwards, thrusting the sword out at his side. Then he charged forwards, but as he did so, starting to _spin_ with his attack.

Link reached out for the slate, using cryonis to make a block of ice in front of her. However, she hadn't angled it very well and Tutsuwa smashed right through the block of ice, his attack hitting her head on. Link choked out as the blue energy blade smashed into her soldier's armour, pain erupting through her as she was thrown back into the shallow water behind her, dropping the spear to the ground. Link whimpered out in pain as she remained on the ground, the shrine spinning around her with how much the attack had knocked her back.

After a few moments to let her recover (not enough though, never enough), Tutsuwa spoke out "Rise hero." his voice was just as impassive as ever. "You haven't managed to hit me once yet." Link clutched one hand to her chest as she tried to stand, her knees buckling a little as she reached for her spear. She turned to face the monk again, feeling her face wet (that was from the water that she had fallen in, she ensured herself, Ruta had been so much more worse, this.. this was nothing). Clutching the spear again, Link charged forward once more as they clashed against each other.

* * *

Back in the Spring of Power, Dorian opened his eyes again (when had he shut them?) as he looked out towards the Goddess Statue again. Suddenly he was wide awake as he threw himself back as sprawled around the sides of the Spring of Power, was some sort of fiery _dragon_ that was looking down at him impassively. Dorian immediately dispeled his disguise, reaching for his windcleaver. What.. what in all of Calamity was going on?! They were so close to the path where travelers walked every day. How was there not panic around him right now? The dragon was _massive_ and sprawling, the very tip of its tail pressed over the top leading out to the hills above the Spring. There was no way any of the travelers on the path couldn't see this dragon from where they were. Dorian kept his windcleaver in front of him as he looked directly into the dragon's face. "What _are_ you?" he asked, lowly, trying to keep himself from trembling. He knew about all the monsters and creatures of this vast world of Hyrule, but he knew nothing about the creature ahead of him, except for the vague fairytales Hylians told each other on the road. ( _I guess they aren't really fairytales after all.._ Dorian thought to himself) As his fingers tightened on the blade of his windcleaver, flames started to rise around on the dragon's skin, and the temperature around him started to climb. For the first time in what felt like years, Dorian felt truly afraid for his own life as he backed away slowly from the dragon. He looked back to the cave where Link had disappeared into, a desperate feeling rising in his chest, as the flames raised even closer in warning. Gritting his teeth behind his mask, Dorian teleported away from Akkala, cursing the Goddess even more as he did so.

* * *

When Link finally came back up from the shrine not long after, somehow she wasn't surprised when she was saw the dragon waiting for her. "Oh, hey there Dinraal." she murmured, looking out at him with her blue eyes, "I hope you didn't scare my friend off." The dragon looked down at Link, before dropping a scale in front of her. Link reached out as it floated downwards into her hands. "Another one of these huh? Not sure why you dragons are giving them to me, but I'll hold onto it for now just like Naydra's." she looked up, smiling a little, "Guess you'll be leaving now, huh?" instead though, Dinraal then lowered it's head down in front of her. Link reached out, feeling the warmth as she placed her hand between the dragon's two fiery horns. Dinraal's skin was rough and hot to the touch, but it didn't burn her at all. Blinking a little, Link peered into the dragon's eyes, "You.. want me to ride you?" Dinraal seemed to nod and Link wandered around it, climbing on just before the first horn on it's long back, "Hope you're not about to take me up to Death Mountain Dinraal, I'm not prepared _at all_ for that place just yet." and she yelped a little as the dragon took off towards the north east.

* * *

In Eastern Akkala Stable, Kass was playing his concertina as he looked up towards the tech lab in the distance. He'd been waiting here for some time now, having returned at first to the Domain to check in with Sidon (he had just missed Link by a day) before flying over Toto Lake and into Akkala, heading straight for the Eastern Stable. As he looked into the darkening sky, he wondered where Link was. Surely, it wouldn't take _this_ long to get from South Stable to the Eastern Stable on foot? For a brief moment, he worried that Link had been attacked before he felt something strangely warm near him and looked up to the sky behind the stable. There in the distance, he saw a very familiar dragon (albeit red rather then Naydra's blue) which was very slowly heading up to the tech lab. Kass tried to keep his face neutral, glancing at the other patrons in the stable. It seemed no-one other then him could see the dragon though, as the other Hylians didn't seem to notice at all that a massive fiery dragon was flying above them. And on the back of the dragon.. he startled, recognising Link there. Putting away his concertina, Kass took off, following the dragon which was seemingly flying up to the tech lab. The dragon must have a barrier around it, hiding Link from view too because he was pretty sure the Hylians would have taken notice seeing someone who was not a Rito flying high in the sky on _nothing_.

Kass sped up, descending in front of the tech lab's front door. But the dragon didn't stop as it started to ascend into the sky above the lab as Link looked down at the Rito alarmed before jumping up, "Sorry Dinraal, looks like this is my stop!" she began to ran down the width of dragon, grabbing the slate to replace the heavy soldier's armour with the much lighter stealth armour as she reached the tail before leaping off, "Kass!" the Rito opened his wings, stepping back a few steps as he managed to catch her, stumbling a few steps back with the Hylian girl in his wings. The two looked back at the dragon which was now moving towards the Zonai Ruins in distance. "These dragons really are crazy." Kass mutttered, shaking his head and Link laughed, "I'm just lucky Dinraal decided to give me a lift _at all_."

With Link still in Kass' wings, the door to the tech lab flew open, and a Hylian woman wearing traditional Sheikah clothing stood in the doorway, "What is the meaning of this?! It's getting late you know--" her hands flew to her mouth, "Oh, Kass!"

Kass glanced over at the Hylian as he placed Link down to the ground, "Hello Jerrin. Sorry for turning up so late, we were going to come earlier but.. things got a little crazy."

Jerrin laughed, "It's Hyrule! Things are _always_ crazy around here, and I should know firsthand about that. Robbie!" Jerrin called over her shoulder, "Kass and that Hylian girl from Impa's letter are here!" she moved out of the way of the doorframe, allowing the two to enter. Link looked around, there was a young man with blonde hair on one of the beds to the left of them who was studying a book, and behind a strange machine in the center of the lab was the director, a short elder Sheikah man. Remembering Purah and how distant and grieving she had been, Link timidly clung to Kass' arm as the two walked forward. Robbie turned towards them, adjusting the strange glasses on his eyes as he peered at the Rito and then at Link, "Well well, you two finally made it."

"Hello Robbie." Kass smiled warmly and Robbie nodded at him before glanced over at her, "Yes yes, hello to you too Kass. But first, let me introduce myself to your friend there." standing up, he looked at the Hylian, "Impa mentioned you in her letter, you're Link correct?" Link nodded, "Then let me formally introduce myself to you. I ammmm.." Jerrin giggled and the boy rolled his eyes a little behind her as Robbie began to tap on the spot before making a pose, his arm outstretched with his fore finger and thumb pressed out, "Doctooooor Robbie!"

The pose was just as silly the second time she had seen it and Link felt relaxed immediately, giggling herself a little, "You're just like Sheik had said--" she realised what she had said far too late, and her hands flew over her mouth as she looked down at the ground. Kass and Robbie stared at her (Kass looking almost horrified), "Hmm." Robbie rubbed his chin, glancing at Kass. It seemed he really didn't care so much that she had just mentioned his dead brother and was more intrigured that anything, "Hey Kass, did that little brother of mine ever visit Lurelin?"

"No.." Kass said, staring at Link who was now trembling, "Link, how do you know that name?"

"I.. uh.." Link looked at the Sheikah slate, wondering how angry the voice would get if she told them everything before shrugging a little, trying to play it off. "would you believe me if I said I heard the name in a dream?" the Sheikah slate beeped once, drawing Robbie's attention to it and he pulled it from Link's side as the Hylian jolted, "Aha, so this is the Sheikah slate Purah mentioned! Look at this thing!" he dropped it to the table, peering over his glasses as he studied the device. "I wonder why it's so much leaner then the one we found? And look at the handles!" he tapped the screen and Link was startled as it activated in his hands, showing the blue Sheikah eye. "How did you do that?!" Link said, walking forward amazed, "No-one other then me had been able to activate it so far."

Robbie grinned, "Even back then, when Princess Zelda and Link, our Link I mean, who was supposed to be the Chosen Hero the slate was supposed to be for were unable to activate when they first touched it. But when I touched it, it seemed to spring to life. Of course, all it had back then was that camera, we were never able to figure out any of the other runes, but that fact that it activated first only in my hands was how I got promoted to lead researcher back in the Royal Ancient Lab." he shrugged tapping the screen and rotating through the states, "I can't tell you exactly why, my mother believed it was something to do with my father."

Kass frowned, "You mentioned him before."

"Yours.. and Sheik's father?" Link asked.

"No, not Sheik's." Robbie waved his hand a little, "He and I were half brothers through our mother's side, not like I cared about any of that. He was my little brother after all." he was now looking through the runes installed and looked on them gleefully. It looked like Robbie understood just how powerful they actually were, just from looking at them. Link wondered why the voice in the slate was letting him just do this, wasn't this whole thing meant to be a secret? Robbie looked at Kass and Link and there was solemn sound to his voice as he spoke, "My father was the one who told the Royal Family about the impending Calamity you know."

Kass looked stunned, it seemed he hadn't known about this at all, "Your father was the fortune teller?!" Robbie scoffed at that, "'Fortune teller' _please_. My father was a scientist, just like me. There was no-one alive back then who knew more about runes then he did." he looked over the slate again, as he murmured quietly, "That's probably why the Yiga Clan had him assassinated when I was a child." Link felt like the world was falling in on her. So much was being revealed right now, and so casually to boot, especially after how secretive everything had been so far.

Robbie slumped back in his chair, looking outwards distantly, "I still can't believe that Mipha is alive.." he murmured quietly. "Anyway!" he jumped back up, returning the slate to Link as he approached the strange device in the center, "I've got some weapons here for you Link!"

"Uh.." Link followed him to the device as Kass also followed the two, "what about the slate? Could you.. I don't know.. possibly repair it?"

"Oh no, I can't do that unfortunately." Robbie tapped on the device and Jerrin pouted a little as he began filling it up with guardian parts, "It looks like it's reacting to the Divine Beasts themselves. The more you awaken, the more power will be added to the slate and the more runes will be added."

"Yeah, I kind of figured that when I awoke Ruta." Link muttered, looking down at the screen and scrolling it over to the repaired map. She jumped a little, "Oh Kass, before I forget here you go." she pulled out his map, "Thank you for lending this to me." Kass nodded, taking the map back. The more guardian parts the director loaded in, the more weapons it began to churn out. The blue energy weapons kind of looked like the weapons she had been lent in the shrine, but more.. refined?

Link watched amazed as five weapons, one of each type was place in front of her, "My life's work!" he grinned, "The Ancient Short Sword, Ancient Bladesaw, Ancient Spear, Ancient Bow and Ancient Shield!"

"You don't have to put ancient in front of everything.." the boy on the bed groaned, "You made them in modern times father, how are they even considered ancient in the first place?"

"Oh hush Granté." Jerrin scolded, lightly, "You know how your father loves his dramatics." Granté just rolled his eyes again as he turned his back to the room, peering over his book once more.

"Unfortunately I can't make you a set of Ancient armour. Even _I_ don't have that much guardian parts. But I can give you these for now." Link picked up the Ancient Bow, which looked quite odd compared to other bows she had used before now, pulling at the drawstring and was amazed as it folded outwards and even the drawstring itself glowed blue. She looked at Robbie amazed, "You _made_ all of this?" the Sheikah slate had been quiet for a while, but there was a contemplative feeling from the voice.

"Not to boast or anything, my weapons weren't nerely refined a century ago as they are today, but it was partially thanks to them that so many Hylians were able to escape Castle Town. I heard later from the soldiers that escaped that the soldiers that remained in the Castle were equipped with the beta versions of them. Of course, the Champions helped too, I would never take away their accomplishments from that day."

"Then you're part of the the reason why I'm alive here today.." Link said quietly. "Huh?!" Robbie startled at that, looking at Link. "My grandmother never talks about the Castle Town evacuation. My father only mentioned it once when I was young. But she was there, you know? The reason she survived was because of the Champions, your weapons and the Hylian soldiers." Link looked up and there were tears in her eyes, "It's not like I only want to save the Champions because of what happened back there, I would want to save them anyway regardless of that." (Beside her Kass frowned a little as he looked away.) "But.. I also want to thank them." Link bowed to Robbie as he looked embarassed, "And I want to thank you too, so thank you so much director Robbie!"

* * *

Later, as Kass and Link got ready to go to sleep in the spare guest room (Link replacing her soldier's armour with what had become her usual sleep wear by now), Kass pulled out couple of of letters for her, placing them on her bed, "Letters from Kakariko." he said at her amazed face, "You made quite an impression there I think."

"Is there one from Kiyah?" Link asked, hopeful. "Hm. That's the one Sheikah woman with the two children, yes. There's one from her. And one from her children too. And a third from Impa's granddaughter." Link looked amazed, picking up the first letter she was surprised at how heavy it was. There was more then just a letter in here, Link gently ripped open the envelope and unloaded it on the bed as ten golden rupees fell out. "Kiyah.." Link muttered unsurprised as Kass gaped, "No wonder that one was so heavy! How does a single Sheikah even _get_ that many rupees?" Link just looked away from Kass' face, grimacing a little. She wondered if that Yiga blademaster knew he was basically financing this entire operation. And Link knew _exactly_ what she was going to get first thing in the morning.

Kass sat down on the other bed, "So, will you start heading for Eldin and Goron City tomorrow? It should take about four or five days on the path depending on how quick you go and how many rests you take at the stables on the way, but you'll get there evantually." Link nodded, as she started to read Kiyah's letter first. "Would you like to come with you so you can get through the Akkala checkpoints?"

"No, I'll manage. I was actually thinking of heading for Shadow Hamlet Village first." Link said, "There might be some stuff there I can get from the shops there to help me with my trip."

"That's not a bad idea." Kass said impressed. Link had seemed so lost back in Hateno, but the Rito could tell she had really come into her own recently. She just seemed more confident in general, he guessed traveling half way across Hyrule would do that to anyone. Still, he hoped she wouldn't do anything _too_ reckless.

Later still when Kass was asleep and after Link had read all the letters and written replies (there was an interesting request from Koko to see if she could get a certain ingredient for her for the next time she was in Kakariko, and Link stored the letters in the slate so she could pull them out later and remind herself), she looked down at the dim light of the slate as she made a path towards the mountain with her finger. ( _"That's a terrible idea hero." | "I am **not** going to Goron City, I will **not** let anyone else suffer like Sidon did. I have good weapons now, I'll break into Rudania myself if I have too." | "They **are** extrodanarily good weapons. You probably could break into Rudania just by using them. Well, it would stop anyone else from learning about this, it's bad enough that so many know about it now. So I have no objections, even if I still do think it's a terrible plan."_) Deactivating the Sheikah slate and placing it down on the beside table with Kass snoring beside her, Link looked out of the little window towards Death Mountain in the distance, her eyes narrowing. Tomorrow. Or possibly the next day, depending on how long it took to climb the mountain. But either way, she was going to save Daruk as soon as possible.


	12. Goron City

In a small cave at the back of Goron City, one of the rock people that inhabited Death Mountain was asleep on his rocky bed, having taken a nap in the middle of the day. Yunobo of the Gorons, who was the ward of the current boss Bludo was still just a child who hadn't just hit hit his growth spurt yet ( _"But I know I'll hit my growth spurt soon!" he would say to Bludo as he tightened the blue cloth adornded with the symbol of the Gorons that was way almost comically too large for his tiny Goron form around his neck_ ). The warm heat that was just perfect for Gorons had been too comfortable and Yunobo had finished his chores for the day (and maybe snacked on an amber gem when no-one was looking, Yunobo knew that gemstones weren't nutritious for Gorons, but there were always so many of them around the mountain that he couldn't help but nibble on them a little every now and then, even if amber wasn't particuarly his favourite out of the gemstones the Gorons mined) so he had just decided.. to take a little nap, as the Goron youth curled up into his bed.

That was, until a loud noise seemed to erupt from all the entirety of the mountain, as even their little city began to violently shake. Yunobo was woken up with a start, the shaking making him fall from his slab, the little game board he had made in his home by that he would play around with when bored shaking as well, as the little bits of pottery he used as pieces fell over to the ground. Yunobo wailed as his covered his head with his tiny hands, the shaking that was wrecking their home never seeming to stop, his legs trembling. Finally, evantually though, the shaking stopped and Yunobo opened his eyes even as his legs continued to tremble. He then heard Bludo's voice from outside as the Gorons rushed around the city, "It's Rudania! It's finally awake!"

"G-grandpa Daruk's Rudania, goro?" Yunobo had heard so many stories about his grandfather Daruk that he had lost count over the years. Bludo had been just a child back then not that much younger then Yunobo himself now, and so all those stories came from his own firsthand knowledge of the great Champion. But Yunobo was nothing like Daruk. It it were not for the same power he had inherited, there would be no evidence whatsoever that the two were related. The great Daruk had been a powerful warrior, a great Champion and pilot of the Divine Beast Vah Rudania and Yunobo was just.. Yunobo. There were times when the Goron would sneak out of his home when most of Goron City were asleep and go to his special secret area, the bridge just above the entrance to Goron City just to look up at the statue of his great ancestor that towered over the city, wondering how he could be as brave and strong as him, but then he would go out with Bludo to train and Yunobo would be left a quivering mess as he struggled to control this strange power his ancestor had left him. He hadn't even been able to use Daruk's Protection against any monsters yet. When Bludo had taken him (once) to try and train against some rock octoroks ( _"They're the weakest monsters we can train against here in Eldin." Bludo had said as he dragged Yunobo along up the circling path behind their home, "And they'll be the easiest for you, since you can deflect their attacks back."_ ) Yunobo had taken just one look at the strange rock monsters that lived underground before running away, sobbing as he did so as and Bludo chasing after him.

Now though, Bludo came charging into his home, more serious then Yunobo had ever seen him, yelling out "Its now or never Yunobo!" as he dragged the child up towards the Bridge of Eldin. That had been almost ten days ago now, and it felt like every day since then Yunobo was back up at the Bridge of Eldin again as Bludo fired him out of the cannons to stop Rudania from stirring up Death Mountain even more then it already had. Still, Yunobo supposed there was nothing like the crushing knowledge that all of Hyrule was now depending on him from stopping Death Mountain from erupting, to essentially force him to get good quickly at using his power, even if none of the Hylians below them were aware of it. As Yunobo looked down as his still tiny Goron hands, he hoped that one day his growth spurt would finally kick in. Maybe then he'd feel like the hero the other Gorons called him for heading up there day after day.

Here again today, Yunobo and Bludo were crossing over the bridge of Eldin as those strange guardian sentries surrounded the mountain once more (he was glad that they had managed to lose one of them the other day, as Bludo had lost his patience when they had been so close to the final cannon before magma bombs had started to fire down on them as Yunobo cowered under the nearby rock and he had hurled his cobble crusher at the small sentry, making it careen and go tumbling down the west side of the mountain). As the two Gorons hurried down the path to the west of the mountain once more, Bludo launching him into Rudania's back every now and then, forcing the beast to move away Yunobo would look up at the towering beast above him as he followed his custodian, his legs still trembling no matter how many times they had done this so far.

Then just as they were heading to the final cannon for today, Bludo stopped suddenly in front of him and Yunobo crashed into his back. "What in the.." Yunobo looked out timidly and his eyes widened when he saw what had made Bludo stop in his tracks. Climbing up the side of the mountain above the final cannon seemingly towards the Divine Beast itself, there was a _Hylian_. "What is that Hylian doing, are they crazy?!" Bludo yelled as he ran forward once more. Yunobo gasped out as he followed from behind, unable to tear his eyes from the Hylian as they continued to climb, seemingly unaware of the two Gorons below them. Yunobo wondered how they had even gotten over the lava that surrounded the mountain, the only way leading this high up was the Bridge of Eldin, and they had had seen no-one there earlier. "Hylian!!" Bludo screamed out as they reached the final cannon, but the roar of how hot the flames in the air was around them deafened the sound and the Hylian didn't seem to hear them as the climbed higher still. The Hylian was on the very last climb towards the very peak of the mountain and they seemed to stop in their tracks as they rummaged around for something, and Yunobo squinted his eyes a little, just barely spotting a fireproof elixir in the Hylian's hand as they drank from the bottle before starting to climb again. Next to him, Bludo dropped his cobble crusher as he started to climb the mountain himself, "I'll go up there myself if I have to!"

"But Bludo sir! Your back, goro!" Yunobo cried out, feeling helpless as the he looked up the mountain and Rudania, which had been ignored since they spotted the Hylian, then suddenly seemed to turn towards them as the sentries left their usual position and began to swarm up the mountain and Yunobo's eyes moved to the cobble crusher Bludo left behind..

Climbing up slowly (far far too slowly, the Hylian was so far in front of him it was laughable), Bludo's back creaked in agony as he clenched down, forcing himself up the mountain higher. "Hylian!! Stop this madness and get _down_ here!!" He screamed out as loud as he could, as the Hylian turned sharply at the sound, looking down. But then Rudania practically roared near them in the distance, and both Bludo and the Hylian looked over towards it as the sentries swarmed around them. In front of him, Bludo could only look on in horror as the Hylian yelled out, their hand slipping on the rock they were trying to grab onto as they started to fall backwards down the mountain.

The Goron elder heard a blast directly behind him and he looked over his shoulder just in time to see Yunobo blasting past him from the cannon below, sheer terror on the tiny Goron's face as he nethertheless charged forward, grabbing the Hylian's falling body before using Daruk's Protection to bounce off the rocks before the two fell back towards the cannon. Clenching his teeth as his back screamed out in pain, Bludo descended back towards the mountain where his ward was trembling, with Daruk's Protection still activated as the Hylian lifted.. something he didn't recognise up from their side to the sky, as the magma bombs that had started to erupt around them were completely frozen in time. Bludo didn't have time to think about any of that, "Yunobo!" he yelled as he grabbed his cobble crasher (which was now right next the cannon and not near the mountain where he had started to climb) and the small Goron looked up amazed at the frozen magma bombs before rushing back over to the cannon as Bludo launched him one last time towards Rudania, finally forcing the Divine Beast away as it moved to the other side of the mountain and the volcano around them calmed down for now as the small sentries followed the Divine Beast. "Let's go!" Bludo yelled back to the Yunobo and the Hylian. "We need to get back to Goron City before anything _else_ goes wrong!"

* * *

"What were you _thinking_?!" Bludo screeched out to the Hylian who had now removed her soldier's helmet and was looking down dejectedly as she stood in front of the much older Goron, with Yunobo nervously twiddling his fingers together next to her. The three were now safely back in Goron City in Bludo's home and the Hylian (Link she had said her name was once they had safely gotten back over the Bridge of Eldin) looked away, "I was uh.. trying to get to the Divine Beast.."

"Well _obviously_!!" Bludo yelled as other Gorons in the city poked their head into Bludo's home to see what the racket was about. Link's eyes trailed over to them and Yunobo could see just how miserable she was. "You weren't just heading up Death Mountain for a casual day stroll now were you?! You're lucky we came when we did or you would be dead by now!!"

The Hylian looked hesitant at that before she muttered quietly, "..I was doing just fine until those guardian like things were alerted by your voice.."

" _Excuse me?!_ "

"They're not guardians, goro." Yunobo spoke up as the two looked over at him. He startled nervously before continuing, "Well.. not exactly. They can't attack you with laser beams like proper guardians do, goro. It's called a sentry, goro. They come from Rudania itself, we believe they were a special protection for the Divine Beast to warn of dangers near it g-g-goro.."

The Hylian looked contemplative as she looked outside the house, the sun high in the distance above the Eldin Mountains. Bludo scratched at his beard as he adjusted his metal eyepatch a little, "Well either way, it's far too dangerous up here for a Hylian with all the magma bombs. We're not even allowing merchants at the moment. This is a Goron problem, and we Gorons will deal with Rudania. It's getting too late to travel right now, but you can go stay in our inn for tonight, I'll even make it free of charge for the night for you, but tomorrow I will have our guard Krane take you back down the mountain." He pointed in the direction of the inn as Link dejectedly left the house. Yunobo tried to follow, but Bludo grabbed for the Goron child's shoulder as he looked up at his custodian nervously, "And where do you think _you're_ going Yunobo? We have still yet to talk about that little stunt you pulled back there."

* * *

Link sighed as she sat in the inn's 'bed'. Despite the blistering heat of the mountain, it was more managable in these little caves the Gorons called home. Anything to help save her stock of fireproof elixirs for now, she thought as she looked upon the countless dozens she had stored in the slate.

( _After they had left the Akkala tech lab first thing in the morning and Link had parted with Kass, she approached the Eastern Stable, feeling emboldened with the large amount of rupees she had now stored as she headed straight for the merchant Beedle who looked up at her maybe a little smugly, "Oh hello there~ somehow I knew I'd be seeing you again. What can I get for you this morning?" Link then dropped an entire gold rupee in his lap as the merchant gaped, "I'll take every single critter you've got."_

 _"I.. uh.." Beedle looked around nervously as the patrons around them in the stable stared. "I can't really sell you everything I have you know? It's bad for business, what if one of my regular patrons can't get anything they need?" Link then pulled out the energetic rhino beetle she had caught the other day and the merchant's eyes lit up as he saw the rare beetle, "What about if I throw this in for free too?" Beedle jumped up immediately, not taking his eyes off the beetle she carried even as he roamed through his inventory, "My entire stock coming right up miss!"_ )

Link sighed as she lowered the slate, looking out off the inn and into the orange sky. And it had been such a good plan too, despite the voice's warnings. First she had made as many fireproof elixirs as she could carry. Then she had rode the Ancient Shield all the way down the plains between North Akkala Valley and the Spring of Power (the friction on Robbie's crafted shield was the most amazing thing she had ever experienced, she swore she was going even faster then a horse would be) before starting the long trek up the mountain, drinking one of the fireproof elixirs when the heat got too unbearable. There had been a pause when she had found the mass of lava in front of her and the final part of the mountain, but thankfully there had been a large rock near her and she had used stasis on the rock, attacking it vigorously with the Ancient Bladesaw (spinning around just like Tutsuwa Nima had done in the shrine yesterday to incease the amount of kinetic energy stored in the rock even further) before jumping onto it and clinging on to the rock as tightly as she could before releasing the stasis, as the rock launched high into the air. (Link could have sworn that she could hear _screaming_ from the voice in the slate as the wind and heat tore around them). Just before the rock had been about to smash into the mountain side, Link had used stasis on it once more , freezing the rock in place as she easily climbed off it leaping to the ground just below her (noting the strange cannon at the end of the path she had been on), before releasing the stasis rune once more and the rock continued its trajectory, smashing into the the mountain above her before bouncing off and falling down into the lava. "That was fun." she had grinned, adrenaline coarsing through her as the voice spluttered, ( _"No it most certainly was **not**! If you had our original lost device with it's limitations you would be **dead** right now, as it would have never had been charged enough for that second stasis."_) "Well its a good thing there aren't any limitations like that on the Sheikah slate you gave to me, huh?"

Link snapped back to the present as she opened up her eyes again, curling up into the bed. Next to her, the inn keeper was conversing with the elder Goron and Link grimaced, looking out into the city behind her. She would be in the Divine Beast by now if she hadn't been stopped by that Goron elder and Link could feel her frustration growing at the slate glowed dimly by her side. She startled surprised by the sudden anger, as she forced herself away from that mindset. It wasn't the Gorons fault, Link reminded herself. It must have seemed insane what she was doing back there, they had no context for what was going on, they just saw a Hylian seemingly marching to their death and had tried to stop her. Still she thought, as she looked into the slate once more, her eyes flashing blue for a moment, she had had the strangest feeling of deja vu back when the elder was chastising her back there..

* * *

Yunobo sighed aloud as he slumped into his rocky bed back in his home. Bludo had yelled at him for what felt like hours for putting himself in danger needlessly ( _"And you manned that cannon all by yourself?! Haven't I told you countless times how dangerous those things are?!"_ ) But the truth was, he had seen the Hylian fall and his body had moved before his mind did. Even as he launched himself towards her falling form with absolute fear in his mind and even after Bludo had yelled at him.. Yunobo found surprisngly that he didn't regret his actions even a moment. Even if was just the one time, out there on the mountain Yunobo had truly felt like a great hero just like his grandfather.

As he shut his eyes, trying to make himself go to sleep even though it was still early evening yet, Yunobo suddenly heard the clunk of metal footsteps outside his home and looked back up in confusion. He raised himself from his bed and edged quietly to the opening of his home (well as quietly as a Goron _could_ be he supposed), peering out from his home as he saw the Hylian girl from before. She was holding a couple of bottles of Goron spice as she walked away from the nearby store ( _She's just buying some supplies from the store_ Yunobo thought to himself. _It's not like Bludo said anything about her not being allowed to do that_ ), and Yunobo watched as she pulled out the strange device she had used before at the mountain before the bottles seemingly disappeared into it. What an odd device that Hylian had. The Hylian started to head back to the inn, before stopping and looking around. Yunobo hid in his home before peering out again, and now the Hylian had moved away from the inn, she was wearing a strange blue outfit instead of that metal outfit she had before as she climbed the wall behind the inn and uptowards the end of Stolock Bridge.

Yunobo jumped alarmed, his eyes moving to Bludo's house near his. No, he couldn't inform the elder. He had been in agony earlier having wrecked his back at the mountain. Pulling in his chest, forcing himself to be brave again, Yunobo followed suit from behind. His own home was higher in the city then the inn, he would manage be able to get to the top before the Hylian could.

* * *

Link looked down to the city below her as she finally reached the top, climbing over the rails of the metal bridge that was raised over the settlement below as she sighed, replacing her stealth armour once more with the soldier's armour. She looked over apologetically at the elder's house as she murmured to herself, "Sorry, but I don't have the time to just sit around. I'll explain everything once we're back in the city--" as she turned around to leave the est side of the bridge, she yelped out and quickly covered her mouth to muffle the cry as the Goron child from earlier was now in front of her, his tiny Goron arms spread out to stop her from moving forward.

"What are you doing here, goro? Bludo said you had to stay at the inn, goro." the Goron asked, looking up at her (there was barely that much of a height difference between the two children, but the Hylian was just a few inches taller). Link tensed as she tried to edge around the Goron child to the Hot Springs around them but he wouldn't budge, "Look, uh.. Yunobo, right? I can't really explain right now, but I need to get back up the mountain. You head back down to the city okay?"

"But it'll be night soon, goro!" Yunobo cried out as Link tried to shh him, "Even if Bludo _did_ say you could go, which he _didn't_ by the way, wouldn't it be safer to go in the day, goro?"

"I.. I know that." Link flushed, "But it's very important that I go now, alright? Don't worry about it Yunobo, I'll be back tomorrow I promise--!" the girl then suddenly ran off in a mad dash, trying to escape the child. Yunobo spluttered as she managed to get past him and rolled into a ball, rushing after her.

"Stop following me!" Link yelled back at him as she splashed into the Hot Springs and towards the path leading to the Bridge of Eldin, "You're just a child, it's not safe!"

"But you're a child too!" Yunobo rebutted back to her.

Link gritted her teeth, pulling out the Sheikah slate as Yunobo started catching up with her, "I'm sorry, I don't want to do this but--" she reached out, tapping the stasis rune and Yunobo was startled as he suddenly seemed to freeze in his tracks still rolled into a ball as she rushed ahead of him, pulling out a weird blue sword and shield as she did so. She looked back apologetically at the frozen Goron, "I'm sorry, but please don't follow me! And don't tell your elder, we'll be back as soon as possible!"

Even frozen, Yunobo watched amazed as the girl quickly took out a fire lizalfos that was in her path, slicing cleanly through the monster's skin before kicking it the body off to the side to the to the lava below. She grabbed the drillshaft the monster had been holding, storing it into the slate and as the heat intensified, Link winced pulling out a fire elixir and downing it before rushing off further down to the bridge. When the girl got far enough away, the strange thing that kept him frozen seemed to release and he gasped out as he looked up at Bridge of Eldin in the distance. How amazing, that girl had taken out that monster so easily. She really was like a hero. Then he realised what exactly the girl had said. "'We'?" Yunobo muttered a little, looking back up to the bridge, "Who's we?"

Looking back to the city behind him, Yunobo knew he should go get Bludo or if not Bludo, then one of the guards at least.. but.. looking back at the bridge in front of him, the Goron knew there was no time. The girl would be half the way up the mountain by then. Yunobo steeled himself as he slapped his hands to his tiny face. "Come on Yunobo, goro." he said to himself as he looked back towards the bridge and the sun descending over the fields of Akkala in the distance, "Be brave like you were before, goro." And despite the fear he felt, he stepped forward, ignoring the Hylian's request as he followed her to the Bridge of Eldin.


	13. Divine Beast Vah Rudania

_At the back of the peak of the volcano, overlooking Death Caldera with Gut Check Rock in the distance, the Divine Beast Vah Rudania lay dormant for now as the sky settled into early evening. There were no monsters this close to the peak of the volcano and the only sound that be heard was the gentle buzzing of the turrets as they moved around the beast aimlessly. That was however until a loud banging started from the inside of the beast. Rudania's head (neither glowing with red or blue energy) shifted, glancing back at the furnace covered with malice on it's back and the turrets swarmed around Rudania again, as their searchlights activated on each of the entrances to the interior of the beast, making sure they were still sealed and that their inhabitant hadn't escaped, before the Divine Beast rose up again on it's legs, making its way to the peak of the mountain once more. Rudania looked up at the descending sun in the distance. It was going to be a bad night tonight.._

* * *

Link took a deep breath as she walked over the metal bridge leading to the very peak of the mountain, her slate at the ready. She was thankful that, in their panic to escape the mountain earlier this day, the Goron elder hadn't raised it once more. Placing her hands to the rock in front of her and getting ready to climb, she looked up to the peak of the mountain as her eyes flashed blue. Back in the inn, before she had decided to leave, Link had peered up at the statue of the Goron Champion and had tried meditating to see if she force some of Daruk's memories into her mind with her so close to the Divine Beast. Alas however, nothing had happened. She supposed she actually had to touch the furnace first to make a connection with the Champion. Steeling herself, Link readied her feet for the climb before a voice called out to her, "Wait! Wait up, goro!"

Link's head spun around and she looked in horror as the Goron child Yunobo ran over the bridge towards her, breathing heavily, "What are you doing here?! I told you not to come!"

"But I can help you get to Rudania, goro!"

"No.. no!" Link felt the crushing weight surround her (Sidon's horror struck face as he looked upon his corrupted sister and later the Zora's trembling hands as he struggled with what exactly had happened in the Divine Beast) "You don't understand Yunobo! You have no _idea_ what's going on up there."

"Then tell me, goro!" Yunobo's face fiercened a little as his small Goron hands clenched to his sides, "I've been holding back Rudania for the last ten days now goro, I'm the grandchild of the great Goron Champion Daruk, goro!"

It was burning hot around them, but Link felt ice cold as she slipped down to a sitting position, the ragged mountain pressed into her back behind her as she looked gravely upon the Goron. "You're Daruk's.." Link laughed almost bitterly, surprised at the feelings coming from her, "of _course_ you are.." there was an almost angry look in the Hylian's eyes as she peered at the Goron in front of her, "Then I'm sure you'll be happy to learn that your grandfather is probably still alive."

Yunobo slumped to the ground, his own mind reeling with shock, "My.. my grandpa's alive? But I thought he died in the castle along with the other Champions goro.."

"So did the rest of us." Link said, looking down into the slate with her blue eyes, "But just over a week ago I was in Zora's Domain, dealing with Ruta--" Yunobo stared up at her again, "And there she was, the Zora Champion Mipha, alive and well. Not that we knew that at the time." Link glanced over at Yunobo's face, "With the Calalmity's malice all over her."

"Malice, goro?" Yunobo asked, cocking his head a little to the side, "What's malice?"

"It's.." Link paused, looking up at the darkening sky. This was why she didn't want to explain things back in Goron City. It would take far too long, and she didn't have the time. "I can't explain exactly _what_ it is, but all you need to know is that because of it Daruk's mind isn't his own. He'll attack anything in front of him, me, even _you_ , his own grandchild." Link put the slate on her side, "I can't ensure your safety Yunobo. My friend back in Zora's Domain was hurt badly because of what happened in Ruta. That's why you can't come with me to Rudania."

Yunobo looked at his own child Goron hands. Could he handle being attacked by his own grandpa, the great Goron Champion? He looked up at the Hylian, finally realising why she had wanted to go alone. "Okay." he nodded and Link sighed relieved, "But I'm still taking you to Rudania, goro."

"Yunobo _please_ \--" Link almost pleaded, looking at him with almost desperate eyes, but Yunobo continued, "No, _listen_ , I'll take you to the Divine Beast, but I won't come in with you, goro." he looked behind him at the cannon just behind the bridge. "If we use the power I inherited from my grandpa, Daruk's Protection and that cannon back there, I can fire us directly to Rudania's location. It would be much quicker then climbing all the way up to the Divine Beast, goro." 

The Sheikah slate beeped at Link's side and she glared at it as Yunobo looked back towards her. There was a sudden bravery on his face that hadn't been there before. "You're like a hero too, Link. Like my grandpa and the his friend the Hylian he mentioned in his training journal." Yunobo pondered for a moment as he looked at her, "Now that I think about it, you two even have the same name don't you, goro?"

Suddenly her feelings boiled to a peak inside her as she got back to her feet, "Yes I have the same name!" Link snapped, "I don't know _why_ I have the same name as the Hylian Champion, I don't know _why_ I was chosen, surely there must be stronger Hylians then me in this world, people who have traveled Hyrule for years, people who know how to fight monsters. There's a whole army right there in Akkala, why didn't you pick one of them instead?!" there were hot tears falling down Link's cheeks and she reached out, rubbing them away from her blue eyes as the strange anger in her dissipated, "It's not that I don't want to be here, I _do_. I _want_ to save the Champions.. but surely there must be someone better then me out there?"

Yunobo placed a hand on her arm, a sympathetic look on his face, "I understand." the Goron spoke out softly. He didn't seem at all bothered by her outburst. Maybe that was just how the Gorons were. "I'm Daruk's grandchild, but I don't feel like it at all." Yunobo smiled sadly as he glanced in the direction of where Goron City was, thinking of the statue of Daruk. "Sometimes I wonder if my father had chipped off a different part of his body, maybe he would have gotten a much different braver stronger Goron child more like his own father Daruk.."

"Huh?!" Link looked confused as the two walked back over the bridge towards the cannon and Yunobo looked embarassed as he glanced back, "Oh, that's how Goron children are made. An adult Goron chips off a bit of their own body then buries it in the rich mountainous soil of Eldin. Its said that the lava under the mountains pools around the buried stone and pours life into it, although no Goron alive can remember that far back. Then a few months later when they're fully formed and ready: pop! Out comes, a Goron baby out of the soil! Goron babies are still asleep then, we don't awaken for a few days still, so miniature rock roasts are prepared for when we first wake up, as Gorons are quite hungry when we first awaken haha."

As they finally approached the cannon, Yunobo looked around for something he could use to control the direction and Link had pulled out the drillshaft she stored in the shaft earlier, Yunobo beamed as he took the Goron like spear (that was even taller then his entire child body but more then light enough for him to actually carry), using it to adjust the cannon perfectly to where Rudania currently was (Link had spotted it moving slowly up to the peak again and it was more then in range for this cannon to get too). Then, with the drillshaft attached to his back, Yunobo climbed into the cannon just like he had before. Link was unable to get into the cannon herself (it was made only for Gorons to roll themselves into a ball), but she steeled herself as she climbed the cannon and pressed her whole body outwards where it fired out of. The plan was for Yunobo to shoot himself out, grab onto her body just in time and activate Daruk's Protection with her inside the protection ball as the blast shot them out towards the Divine Beast. It was an absolutely _insane_ plan. Almost like her using stasis this morning on that rock, but this time the speed would be even faster then that. She could feel the apprehension coming from the slate stored securely in her arm guards, even though the voice had agreed this was the best and fastest course of action.

Below her, she could feel Yunobo raising his body heat to set off the cannon, and the fear in both the slate and herself increased tenfold as Link tried not to think at all, focusing her attention directly on the Divine Beast above her. They were going to get on there, Yunobo was going to leave, she was going activate the furnace, get rid of malice, uncorrupt Daruk and then head directly for Rito Village and _nothing_ was going to go wrong, right?

* * *

Near the tail end of Goron City, the Goron Bargoh stood on guard beween the city and the Northern Mine, which had once been bustling with Gorons who mined the ores there to trade to travelers who came to the city, but was now abandoned in the ten days since Rudania had awakened, as monsters now crawled all over the mine, having been turned more aggressive. It was getting late now and as the last colour of the sun descended over Akkala, there was a sudden explosion in the distance, "Whoa!" the Goron exclaimed, lowering his cobble crusher and peering out into the distance as he just barely spotted a orange glow shooting off into the distance and over Death Mountain.

* * *

Link was incredibly grateful that she couldn't see the mountain below her with the orange barrier that surrounded her and the Goron clinging to her, nethertheless she practically _shrieked_ as they shot through the air above the mountain and the wind and heat tore around them. Link looked down as the Divine Beast got closer and closer, and she spotted the malice furnished infused furnace on it's back. The turrets around the Divine Beast swarmed around frantically as the two of them moved so fast before their searchlights could spot them. Yunobo released Daruk's Protection and then Link, her eyes glowing hotly blue, reached for the slate and used stasis on Yunobo once more just before they bounced into the top of Rudania. She climbed down from the frozen Yunobo onto the Divine Beast, then reached out tapping the small Goron lightly to dispel the energy in his body. Yunobo gasped he came to a full stop, his small body slumping over right in front of the furnace.

"That.." he muttered as he stood back up. There was a look of glee on the Goron's face not unlike her own this morning when she had riden the rock over the lava, "..was so _cool_!" Link sighed as she looked into the distance, below her were Rok Woods and even just barely she could see the Akkala Tech Lab, the massive telescope so small from all the way out here on the top of the mountain. Rudania which had been moving further south on the mountain had stalled the moment they had climbed onto it. Link glanced below, spotting the same path from before, the final cannon on the path from the bridge, "Can you get down from here Yunobo?" she asked, turning to the Goron and pulling out the slate as she turned her eyes back on the furnace behind him.

"Yeah, that's no problem, goro!" Rudania was at a weird angle on the mountain and normally they would have to have a certain balance to stand up straight. Yet, Link found there was no problem walking on the structure of the Divine Beast, the gravity perfectly matched even at an angle. Yunobo peered down over the beast, standing on one of the two weird circles on the back of the beast, "I just gotta use Daruk's Protection to bounce off the rocks there before getting to the path below, goro."

At Yunobo's voice suddenly, there was a loud BANG from the interior of the Divine Beast and both Yunobo and Link jumped. Then another bang, and another as the banging got louder and louder with each slam on the interior. There was something inside the Divine Beast trying to claw its way out, and Link span to Yunobo as she launched herself to the furnace in front of her, "Go now Yunobo!" Then she stopped and looked into the distance as Link saw something that made her blood run cold.

The blood moon, bright and red and shining was rising in the distance above Akkala. Oh. Oh _no_. With everything that had happened yesterday evening and today, Link had completely forgotten about it. As the blood moon rose, the banging below them got even more louder. She could practically _feel_ Daruk's aggression and anger through the slate and Rudania itself as her fist clenched over her chest. There was sheer panic rising in her (she could hear the voice practically screaming at her to ignore the Goron and get to the furnace) and she turned to Yunobo just to see the little circle below him open a little. There, she could see malice seeping out of the Divine Beast and a single large hand pushing out as malice dripped off it. In the darkness of the interior of the Divine Beast, she could see Daruk's guardian like eyes (blue _always_ blue, even now with the blood moon rising overhead) as her shoulder burned horrifically the most painful so far with the blood moon ahead, as Link reached out for Yunobo. The Goron in front of her was frozen, still clutching the drillshaft to him before suddenly Daruk grabbed Yunobo's ankle as the circle opened a little wider and Daruk pulled the young Goron into the darkness below.

Link screamed out "YUNOBO!!" lunging forward desperately but it was too late as the circle snapped shut again. Her hands punched against the circle, desperately willing it open, but both Gorons had disappeared back into the interior of the Divine Beast.

( _"Stop hero! You need to go to the furnace immediately."_ ) "NO! _NO!_ " Link pounded at the circle, as tears rolled down her face, "He's just a _child_! He won't survive on his own!" ( _"The Goron has his ancestor's defensive power. But the only way this is going to stop for good is if you free the corruption from Daruk's spirit. The sooner you do so, the sooner you can save both of them."_ )

Link screamed out hoarsely as she pressed her face to the circle. She knew the voice was right, but she didn't want to accept it. "If Yunobo dies." she spat, looking back at the slate on her side, feeling as if the raw anger of the blood moon itself was coarsing through her own body, "I'm going back home, and you can find someone else to do this, _are we clear_?" The voice hesitated. It was a senseless threat really. The life of one Goron was not comparable to the lives of all of Hyrule, not even to the lives of the four Champions. Was the hero still not aware that she was the only one could do this? Still, there was something in her anger that was.. familiar. ( _"..Understood."_ ) Link forced herself away from the entry as pushed herself back up, wiping the hot tears from her face as she pulled up the Sheikah slate and approached the furnace.

* * *

Below Yunobo shuddered as he fell to the ground. It was far too dark around them and the young Goron couldn't see a thing. At his thoughts however, the interior seemed to light up with bright blue flames completely filling the interior of Rudania with its light. Yunobo looked up, and in front of him was a figure completely covered in weird red pulsing liquid (that almost seemed solidified even as it dripped from the figure). Two blue eyes were focused on the small figure in front of him.

"..Daruk?" Yunobo called out to the figure who growled menacingly at him. It didn't look like his grandpa at all, but that stance.. that figure that was barely visible through the red liquid.. Yunobo had looked up at that statue so many times as child, he recognised immediately the form of his grandfather. And even if he hadn't, the weapon the figure grasped in it's hand made it even more obvious as Yunobo looked at the legendary Boulder Breaker from Bludo's stories. It was even bigger then the rarer stone smasher from his home city. Yunobo swallowed nervously as he stood up, the Goron's blue eyes tracking him, "H-hi, goro.." he stammered a little, "I-its such an honor to finally meet you Daruk, I-I've heard so many stories about you!" the Goron's hand tightened on his weapon as Yunobo tensed, taking a step back, "Y-you don't know me, but m-my name is Yunobo goro.. I'm actually your g-grandchild..!"

Daruk practically _roared_ in front of him and charged forward, raising his Boulder Breaker above his head and Yunobo screamed out, raising his hands over his head as he activated Daruk's Protection. The malice infused Goron bounced off the protective barrier, before falling backwards, dropping the weapon as Yunobo peered out of the fingers of his hands. The Goron seemed to be eyeing him in confusion for a moment before raising his own malice infused hand, clenching it as a small orange glow appeared for a second before disappearing almost immediately. The Goron growled deeply at that as he reached for his weapon again and Yunobo watched stunned. Daruk couldn't use his own power in that form, while Yunobo could. Clutching the drillshaft tighter, Yunobo wondered if he actually stood a chance here.

* * *

_Link was back in that vast neverending darkness with that malice dripping from her form. No weapons, no slate as she walked forward to a destination she felt like she becoming more and more used to. Strangely, she felt.. safe, comfortable in the darkness this time. Despite its coldness, she clung to it more then she had in Ruta as she searched for Daruk._

_There was a presence near her again that wasn't Daruk and this time, she became aware of it first. Looking through the malice, she spotted that Shiekah child again.. walking ahead in front of her and she reached out her hands to the child. They didn't seem to notice her though and as she tried to reach them, she suddenly noticed something that made her stop. The child wasn't covered in malice like she was, but as they walked in front of her, steps of malice seemed to appear under their feet. Link called out to the child who startled, glancing behind to her. As they did though, suddenly the world she was in seemed to crumble and fall apart and she too was falling. The child remained where they were though, looking at her impassively from above as she fell further and further._

_There was a large pool of malice directly below her and she thought of Kass' words on Mount Lanayru ( **Who's Kass?** the words seem to enter her mind and almost immediately, the Rito's image disappeared from her mind) as Link fell further and further into the malice. She was drowning in it. Her memories were foggy. Not just recent memories either, but her entire life. She was barely conscious as she continued to fall deeper into malice. Where was Daruk? ( **Who's Daruk?** ) She choked out desperately, unable to even speak. Where was she? She wanted to go home! Where **was** home even? Who **was** she?_

_Suddenly, she was aware that of a place that she hadn't been before. It was an impossibly large circular room with stars all around them that glowed red. Even the walls glowed that dark red, like the malice covering her. She reached out to it, feeling the warmth despite how cold it was. How comfortable it felt, how **safe** she felt. Yet despite the feeling, she wanted to get out of here. She could feel the outside world just waiting for her, the warmth of the sun, the breeze of the wind just waiting outside. She wanted that feeling on her again. Then just as quickly as the strange room had appeared, it disappeared once more plunging her back to the darkness. It choked her with how much it hurt (pain? had that been a thing before?) and she tried to scream out for help even as the malice choked her voice. She became aware of chains on her that were holding her down (what were they made of? metal? or energy? she couldn't tell) and she tried to reach out to get them off her, unsuccessfully._

_There was a presence near her. A familiar presence and angrily (when had she become angry?) she tried to lash out, to bite and tear it. The spirit was overbearingly powerful as it sank down to her, and yet she felt like it wasn't the one holding her down. No, that had come long before that spirit had arrived.. she didn't care though as she fought against the chains to reach the outside world. Hatred burned through her like a disease, growing stronger and stronger the more she fought as the spirit enveloped her._

* * *

Link gasped as she was thrown back into the real world, the Sheikah slate seperating from the furnace. Above them, the blood moon had disappeared, having turned back to the usual grey full moon as the small reddish particles swarmed around her. What.. what in all of Hyrule had that been? "Okay. Note to self, do not interact with a furnace on the blood moon." she muttered to herself as the Sheikah slate beeped at her. Below her, she could sense Daruk who had become less aggresive then before with the blood moon gone, but was still quite angry. She could also sense Yunobo was still alive and sighed, relieved as she lifted the Sheikah slate back to the furnace, diving back in.

* * *

Below Link, Yunobo was fighting back as hard as he could, using his shorter size and the protective barrier as an advantage as the larger Daruk rampaged around him. "Sorry grandpa." Yunobo apologised, thrusting the drillshaft out and tripping Daruk over as he tumbled forwards, smashing against the metal doors that were near them. Yunobo winced as he fell to the back of the room and Daruk roared as he got back up and charged for Yunobo as the smaller Goron activated his barrier once more, causing Daruk to bounce off him yet again. Yunobo just wondered how many times he was going to try the same tactic as Daruk staggered back.

* * *

_Link was in the darkness again, and this time she pushed forward without any hesitation. No distractions, she just had to find Daruk as soon as possible. As she ran though, the darkness seemed to vanish and she found herself near the bottom of Death Mountain as a memory seemed to take form. There was Daruk in front of her charging forward and near her.. Link startled, spotting her predecessor. He wasn't weaing his blue Champion clothing, instead wearing the same soldier's armour as she now wore but without the helmet and carrying a soldier's sword and shield. Her predecessor was being attacked by monsters and Link could feel Daruk's worry as he tried to catch up to help the Hylian. However, it seemed he worried for nothing as her predecessor easily took out the monsters and Daruk slowed before stopping, looking amazed at the Hylian. The not yet Champion Link turned to face the Goron in front of him, before suddenly lunging out and Daruk yelled out looking backwards having not noticed a monster right behind him as Link just as quickly took it out. The Hylian and Goron looked at each other, quiet for a moment and then Daruk started to laugh as Link grinned._

_The memory changed and the two were sitting in front of a cooking pot and in front of them were two of the Goron speciality, the rock roast. Link blanched as she watched her predecessor pick up one of the two cooked rocks (an actual rock!) and started to eat it as Daruk looked on happily before eating his own. She felt incredibly grossed out as she watched the scene, almost as if she could taste the rock herself. She liked to think she had a pretty good palette when it came to the different tastes of Hyrule, even if she liked her own village's food the most, but even she had her limitations!_

_The memory changed again and now the Hylian and Goron were now wearing their blue Champion clothing. Daruk seemed to be struggling as he tried to control Rudania, concentration on his face as he tried to move the beasts legs, his fists clenched and arms wide in front of him. Link watched afar as Daruk sighed, relaxing his form and scratching his head a little in confusion, before the Hylian approached the Goron quietly from behind. Then, without even a word, Link pushed Daruk forward as the Goron yelled before falling forwards into the interior of the Divine Beast before the door shut behind him. Link smiled as he leaned forward on his knees, pressing his hands to his chin, even as sounds of clanging and yelling could be heard from inside the Divine Beast._

_The memory changed once more and now Link found herself in a very familiar memory: the one in Hyrule Castle as the five Champions and their Princess seperated. Again, she watched her predecessor follow the path up higher in the castle, and again watched Mipha head south to the guard's chambers. Then she noticed Revali next to her, who she realised had a frustrated look on his face as he followed Link up the path. Daruk reached out, but Urbosa stopped him, "Let them be, they need to figure this out on their own Daruk."_

_The memory shifted a little further and now Daruk was in the castle's dining hall, chewing down once more on a rock roast with some of the castle's chefs around him, "We've never made rock roast before, lord Daruk." one of them was saying, "But we hope you it's to your liking."_

_Daruk grinned, "It's great! You guys can cook it like you're natural Gorons!"  
_

_The chef bowed, "We're honoured sir." and they turned to leave the dining room. With the chefs gone, Daruk sighed as he looked almost contemplatively at the ceiling, his thoughts of Link. "Hope you're doing alright little guy. Dunno what the rest of us can do here, but we'll support you and the Princess anyway we can."_

_Link felt it coming before it actually did, as the entire castle seemed to lurch, the ceiling crumbling a little as what felt like an earthquake erupted through the entire castle. His rock roast forgotten, Daruk grabbed his Boulder Breaker and rushed outside as the memory violently shifted again. Now, Daruk as well as Revali and Mipha were fighting together. Mipha looked beyond ragged, it was obvious she had been crying even when fighting, having only forced herself to stop recently when the three of them were brought back together. Daruk activated his protection power as he launched himself into the nearby guardian, smashing it under his large Goron body. Revali was launching waves of bomb arrows one after another and Mipha was riding the waterfalls that surrounded Hyrule Castle up as she attacked using her Lightscale Trident. Revali yelled out, as a guardians beam barely managed to miss him and Mipha rushed up quickly, pressing her healing hands to his lightly scorched feathers, "I.. I'm fine Mipha." the Rito muttered quietly, but one look from Mipha's raw yellow eyes shut him up as he looked away from her, almost embarassed. Next to them, the Goron attacked relentlessly protecting the two as Mipha healed Revali._

_Near them, a group of soldiers was approaching. "What's going on further down in the castle?!" Daruk called out to them as they got closer. "Champion Urbosa's taken command of the army." one of the soldiers replied as the others fought alongside the Champions, "She's got us evacuating the town right now." One of the soldiers had a soldier's bow equipped with some strange glowing blue arrow (Link recognised Robbie's handiwork immediately) and fired it off, hitting a guardian right in the eye as it was destroyed completely on impact._

_"What do you mean she's taken control of the army?" Daruk yelled, "Where's the King? Why isn't the orders coming directly from him?"_

_"Where's the Princess?" Revali struggled to stand and even Mipha stood up next to him, "What about Link? Has anyone seen him?" (Next to her, Link noted that Revali looked a little guilty as he glanced away from her)._

_Another earthquake suddenly hit the castle as the soldiers were thrown to the ground and the three Champions struggled to find their footing. Revali pulled away from Mipha and flew up into the sky to look around. What he saw made him gasp, "What is it Revali?!" Daruk called,  
_

_"There some sort of pillars, rising from the ground!" Revali yelled out as he landed by the other two Champions. Beside him, Daruk practically growled as he slammed his fist into the crumbling wall of the castle as the other two Champions looked at him, "I can't take much more of this!!" Daruk was yelling, "We were supposed to be ready for this, but everything's gone so wrong so fast!!" There was frustation and impatience boiling in him._

_Once more the memory changed and Link was back near Death Mountain. This place was somewhere between the Gortram Cliff and Medingo Pool and there were tiny pools of water around them. Daruk was sitting next a mound of raised rock as he looked out into the distance where Hyrule Castle was. "Come on little guy." he spoke out, his voice was surprisngly gentle as he spoke. Link looked around, but she couldn't see her predecessor anyway. She realised a moment later he was talking to the mound near him, which now that she looked at it, didn't seem to be a natural rock formation, "How long are you gonna stay in there anyway huh? You should have come out a few weeks ago now." Daruk gently patted the area around the mound, "I hope I get to meet you soon kid." Link was thrown almost violently out of the memory as she sank back in the dark void, Daruk's voice all around her._

_"Why now you swirling swine?!"_

_"What did Hyrule ever do to you?!"_

_"Little guy, Link, where are you?"_

_"Kid.. I'm sorry I never got to see you grow up.."_

_She adjusted back to the darkness, as Daruk's altered furnace bed was in front of her and she flinched a little. There was so much more malice then there had been on Mipha's. Link concentated as she forced herself out of the dark void and into the light void once more, this time finding it much harder then it had been at Ruta (whether that was because of the blood moon she wasn't exactly sure), but finally she managed to pull herself back to the light. She reached out immediately to Daruk. It stung terribly, touching the malice with this form, but by now she knew it wouldn't affect her body in the real world and so she pushed forwards through the pain._

_"Lord Daruk!" she called out to him as the Goron's blue eyes looked up at her through the malice. She could still feel the anger surrounding him even as she clung tighter to the light void. Anger at being robbed of his chance to be a father. Anger at the Calamity, even as it still now possessed him. Daruk's eyes were icy cold, not even responding to her even though he could see the girl in front of him. Daruk was focusing his anger on her, but Link couldn't blame him for it. Not after what she had seen. Yunobo had barely mentioned his own father, but considering Bludo was looking after him now.. "I'm sorry you never got to see your child!" Link called out as tears filled her eyes, "But.. you have a grandchild now and I know he would love to meet you! His name is Yunobo!"_

_"Yu..no..bo?"_

* * *

Back inside the Divine Beast, Yunobo gasped as Rudania began to shake. Both him and Daruk staggered back and Yunobo wondered what was even happening out there. It felt like the entire Divine Beast was tumbling down the mountain side. The young Goron looked up the ceiling of the Rudania, hoping that Link was still okay. Next to him, he heard Daruk screech and Yunobo panicked as he tried to bring up his barrier once more. The barrier flickered for a moment. Yunobo had used it too much today. Even now after all these days, he still wasn't one hundred percent proficent at using it. The Goron child lifted the drillshaft once more desperately as it smashed against Daruk's Boulder Breaker, the metal of both weapons sparking as Daruk's superior height and strength easily towered over him. Daruk was just too strong and Yunobo whimpered a little, tears filling his eyes as he thought of his custodian. "I'm sorry Bludo, goro. You were just trying to protect me and I messed up so bad."

In front of him though, Daruk seemed to stagger back just before fully attacking, looking down at the Goron child as he gurgled out, "Yu..no..bo.." Yunobo's eyes lit up hopefully, "That's right! My name's Yunobo, I'm your grandchild!" Daruk staggered back further, as the malice dripped off him, dropping the Boulder Breaker and collapsing to his knees, scratching at the floor. While Daruk was distracted, Yunobo smashed his fists together, as he desperately tried to bring back his barrier. Ahead of him, Daruk snapped back, the malice seemingly holding onto him once more as he lunged for Yunobo and the child gasped out pushing his hands in front of him as his barrier lit up for what he felt truly would be the last time.

* * *

_Ahead of Link, Daruk was still looking at her. "Who.. are you?" he asked, peering at her face, there was recognition there. Link pushed forwards still, grimacing as the malice burned her as she touched Daruk's hand, "My name's Link!"_

_"Are you.. related to my friend?"_

_"I'm sorry, no, I'm just a kid from Lurelin Village who happens to have the same name as the Hylian Champion."_

_"I see.." Daruk looked down, his eyes were starting to turn back to his normal Goron like blue (darker then the bright glowing blue of the the guardian eyes) but now they started to shift back, glowing blue as he slumped down to the furnace once more, "I was hoping he managed to suvive since we didn't see him at all in the castle. The tiny princess too. But I guess they died too, just like we did."_

_"But you're not dead lord Daruk!" Link cried out, "Mipha's alive and well in Zora's Domain right now! I know she wants to see you too!"_

_"Mipha.." Daruk muttered quietly, then his head shot back up in surprise, his eyes instantly turning to the dark Goron like blue as his anger seemingly dissipated, "Mipha's alive?!"_

_"Yes!"_

_"Then I--"_

_"YES!!" Link practically shrieked out, "But you have to pull yourself free right now, lord Daruk!" pushing forward, she pushed her light void against the dark void that was completely surrounding Daruk, "You can even share a gourmet rock roast with your grandchild once you're back in Goron City!" that seemed to do the trick and Link watched almost with a little disbelief as Daruk nodded, shaking the void off him almost immediately as he reached out to grab her hand. The malice weakly tried to cling onto him, attempting to fill the Goron with more anger but Daruk's newly found willpower was far too strong now as he easily rejected the malice and the light void spread all around the Hylian Child and the Goron Boss.._

* * *

Yunobo closed his eyes as his final barrier flickered before disappearing completely and he gasped out, falling to his knees in defeat. In front of him, Daruk lifted his Boulder Breaker above him before shrieking out suddenly, dropping the weapon to the floor and collapsing back as streams of red light burst from his body. Timidly, Yunobo opened his eyes at the sound and gaped as the malice dripped away from Daruk's form, falling to the ground before seemingly disappearing into nothing as if it had never been there before. More and more stream of red light burst from Daruk's body, before, finally, he was completely released and the Goron collapsed to the floor on his back.

As he did, Rudania itself seem to ground to a halt and then there was a huge sound of splashing water all around the Divine Beast. Yunobo gasped out, "Link!!" as he climbed to the ceiling (that was now actually below him as the Divine Beast appeared to be upside down) as he tried to open the circular part of the ceiling to get back to where the furnace was to no avail. The water they had fallen in sounded deep, and Link had been right above them. Yunobo rushed back to Daruk's side, panic running through him as he tried to wake the Goron up, "Grandpa! Grandpa Daruk! Please wake up, goro!"

The Goron adult groaned as he rubbed his head, "Yeah yeah, I'm awake.." Daruk glanced over at Yunobo, looking at him in confusion, "Huh? You are..?"

"Yunobo, goro! We need to get out of Rudania right now, I think my friend is in danger!"

A few moments later, with Yunobo helping him stagger over to the back end of the Divine Beast, Daruk opened the door and they stepped outside. In the distance, the sky above them was turning a pretty shade of orange with dawn breaking and Yunobo looked down into the water, noting the purple flowers that surrounded the tall pillar in the distance. He knew of this place from Bludo describing it too him, recognising it as Skull Lake and down deep below the water among the purple flowers, he spotted the furnace as his heart sunk in his chest. "Link!!" he screamed out as loud as he could, climbing onto the back of the beast, "LINK!!"

"Uh.. kid.." behind him Daruk pointed up and Yunobo followed his hand as what he saw made him gasp out. Above the Divine Beast, the Hylian Link was _floating_ in the air, a blue protective aura surrounding her form as her entire eye both the iris and sclera glowed blue like the aura around her. Between her hands, floating in the air just as she was was that strange device from before. Behind him, Daruk staggered back to his feet as he looked upon the Hylian, "Oh.. wow.. that's.." he bent down to Yunobo, "Hey kid, I think I've been out for it for a while, but can Hylians do that now? Float in the air like they're Rito?"

Yunobo shook his head, dumbfounded as the blue aura surrounding Link disappeared and the device returned to her hands as she floated back down to the Divine Beast, her feet touching to it's back. A moment later, the blue glow disappeared, her eyes returning to their usual green colour as she looked at the two Gorons in front her, "Daruk, you're alright." she smiled widely, then she looked at Yunobo and he could see the relieved look in her eyes as she rushed to him, "Yunobo! I was so worried about you."

Yunobo choked at that, "You were worried about _me_?! I was worried about _you_! Look at where Rudania landed!" he spread his arms around at the lake around them and where the furnace currently was multiple feet under the water. Daruk scratched his beard a little, "Geez, it's gonna take so long to get Rudania out of this mess. Both it and I aren't so good with water."

"Well it's a good thing I can help with that." a soft voice spoke from somewhere near them, and then all of a sudden, Divine Beast Ruta was pushing itself up from the water from beneath the lake, pushing Rudania up with it. Sitting on the trunk of the Divine Beast was the Zora Princess Mipha herself who waved at the two Gorons and the Hylian. Daruk beamed as he yelled out her name before launching himself downwards to her Divine Beast.

"Hello Daruk." Mipha smiled as the Goron Champion approached her, "It's good to see yo--" she yelped as she was brought into a hug by the Goron, "Oh, there it is.." Mipha laughed softly, patting the Goron's back, "I'd almost forgotten how intense your hugs were Daruk." Above them Yunobo and Link grinned at each other as they both carefully climbed down to where the two Champions were even as Ruta and Rudania continued to rise to above half way up Skull Lake before stopping.

Mipha looked down at Link even as she still remained in Daruk's hug, "Hello again Link."

"Hi Mipha." Link couldn't help but blush a little as she rubbed her chin embarassed.

"Come here you two!" Daruk yelled as he pulled both the Goron child and Hylian into the hug. Yunobo yelped a little but smiled and Link felt a warm fuzzy feeling fill her. After the blood moon last night, it was.. nice to see Daruk so happy.

A little while later, all four were sitting on the trunk of Ruta, Mipha having explained everything to Daruk who scratched at his beard. He seemed a little confused, but generally seemed to gotten the gist as he looked up into the rising sun. "A hundred years, huh.."

"Actually, its been ninety nine years exactly, goro." Yunobo spoke out. "And about seven months." Link continued.

"I mean, that's still practically a century." Daruk crossed his arms, "I can scarcely believe it to be honest. Or at least I wouldn't if the evidence wasn't sitting in front of me." And Yunobo blinked as he looked up at Daruk, adjusting the blue cloth that was still a bit too big around his neck, although he was feeling more and more comfortable in it with each passing moment.

"You like that cloth kid?" Daruk asked. "Yeah!" Yunobo beamed, "My father made it in your honour, and Bludo gave it to me when I was old enough, goro."

"Is that so?" Daruk glanced to his side and Link could see the sadness in his eyes a little as her hands twisted in her lap, "Can't believe that little kid Bludo is still kicking after after all these years. He needs to tell me all about it when we get back to the city."

"Ah, Bludo!" Yunobo jumped up, "He's gonna be worried sick about us, goro, and he already threw out his back yesterday, goro!"

Then suddenly a voice yelled out from above them, "Mipha! Daruk!" ("No Robbie, don't!" another voice screamed out) as suddenly a small form leapt over the side of Skull Lake towards the two Divine Beasts below. Link panicked pulling out the Sheikah slate and rushing forwards, using stasis just before the tiny elder Shiekah broke all his old bones from the drop. She reached out, tapping the Sheikah's hand to release the kinetic energy as Daruk caught him in time. Robbie grinned, safe and sound in Daruk's arms as his poor Hylian wife looked exasperated as she peered over the edge from above. "I knew those quick reflexes of yours would kick in Link."

"You did not!" Jerrin shrieked above them as Robbie did his now familiar pose.

"Oh Robbie.." Mipha clasped her hands together, placing them near her mouth, "You used to be taller then me, but you're so tiny now.."

"Is that really you Robbie?" Daruk laughed, "What happened to that cool Sheikah style necklace you used to wear?"

"Ah, that thing? I gave it to my kid, not like you'd know he never wears the damn thing. But enough of that." he turned to Link, "Show me the Sheikah slate at once! I want to see what's changed with it." Link pulled it out the slate and Robbie quickly took it from her, sitting down on the trunk of Ruta as he peered over the slate, activating it. The two Gorons, Hylian and Zora watched as he looked over the slate completely, "Hmm.. odd. Doesn't seem like any new runes have been added at all."

Link pushed forwards, "What about the teleportation system?"

"Nope, still not operational."

Link's heart sank. It was going to take _months_ to get to Rito Village, the closest of the last two areas, and she still had to get through Akkala's checkpoint without alerting the army. They couldn't reveal that Mipha and Daruk were alive, so they couldn't vouch for her and Kass was long gone by now. "What about the green rune that's still damaged?"

Robbie kept his eyes on the slate, tapping every possible thing he could before glancing over at Link, "That's the camera rune. We had the exact same one on our Sheikah slate. And no, it's still damaged."

Link buried her face in her hands, "I don't get it. When we activated Ruta, the map rune was added, but with Rudania's power added, we get nothing?"

Daruk was reminded of something and punched one fist to the palm of his other hand, "What about earlier when you did that weird glowy trick?"

Link blinked at that, looking at Daruk confused, "What.. what are you talking about..?"

"Yeah!" Yunobo continued, "When grandpa Daruk and I got out of Rudania earlier after we landed here in Skull Lake, you were.. floating in the air with this cool blue aura you, goro."

Link looked down at her hands in shock, "I don't.. I don't remember that at all.."

"Hmm." Robbie peered over his glasses as he looked over the Sheikah slate once more, making doubly sure he had checked everything he possibly could on the slate. Then he looked with up a gleeful look on his face, "Seems I was wrong about the teleportation system. Its not _completely_ operational yet, but it seems if Ruta and Rudania pour some of their energy into the slate it could let you teleport just once to anywhere you like in Hyrule."

Link's eyes lit up, "Even to Rito Village or Gerudo Town? So I could save another Champion right now if I wanted too?"

" _Link_." there was a stern look in Mipha's yellow eyes as she glanced over at the Hylian.

"I-I wouldn't go right _now_ Mipha.." Link stammered a little, looking away embarassed from her yellow eyes, "After what happened last night, I need to rest for at least two days before I even think of doing anything else." Link was just grateful she hadn't passed out like she had in Ruta for four days.

Mipha sighed, and Link could tell the Zora didn't believe her. It had only been two days (technically three nights) since she had left the Domain, and she already freed Rudania. But she couldn't really be blamed for that, with Eldin so close to Lanayru, even if she had taken more unconvetional ways to get here so fast.

"Alright." Daruk said as he got back up, "We're gonna be stuck here for a while, so let's just help Link however way we can. So.. how do we do this Robbie?"

Robbie gave the Sheikah slate back to Link, "Focus the Divine Beast's energy as if you were sticking to the plan to fire on Hyrule Castle."

Mipha blinked, "But.. with two Divine Beasts, that amount of energy would destory not just Skull Lake, but possibly all of Akkala."

Robbie shook his finger, "Remember, the Sheikah slate is _reacting_ to the Divine Beasts energy. The energy is absorbed _by_ the slate and being powered by it as well." he grinned, "Besides, I bet you anything the voice in that slate won't allow anything like that to happen."

Link gaped and she could feel the annoyance of the voice, ( _"Damn you. That Sheikah is smarter then I gave him credit for, but I shouldn't have been surprised considering who he's descended from.."_ )

"Voice..?" Daruk asked and Robbie just grinned at him. "I'll explain later, don't worry." looking at Link's stunned face, he grinned, "And don't you worry Link. That voice may have barred you from talking about it, but I have nothing like that holding me back." behind them, Mipha and Daruk returned to Ruta and Rudania respectively to start charging them up, Yunobo following Daruk as he went, and Robbie contemplative as he looked at the slate, the two now alone on the trunk of Ruta, "We Sheikah have been so secretive for so long and look where it's gotten us. We've already started allowing non Sheikah into our families." he glanced back up at where Jerrin had been above him, "After my father's death, my mother remarried a Hylian noble man and bore him a Sheikah son with Hylian features. And my stepfather was nothing but loving to me, even though I wasn't his biological son. Many years later I somehow followed suit, marrying a Hylian of my own and ending up with Granté. I even allowed Kass to take my brother's Sheikah hat after his death, to let him know he's always welcome here thanks to his connection with my brother." there was a sad smile on Robbie's face as he looked at Link, "The Sheikah.. the last thing we need is to end up like the Yiga Clan thanks to our secretive nature. Especially when it comes to something like this. We need to do everything in our power to stop the Calamity, even if that means giving up some of our most treasured secrets." Robbie glared a little at the slate, hoping the voice inside was listening too before he bounced back, grinning and back to his usual self, "But anyway, enough of that, just think about the place you want to be teleported too as Mipha and Daruk are charging up, and the slate will take you there instantly." he did his pose again as the trunk lowered towards Tempest Gulch as Robbie climbed off, nodding to Link, "Until we meet again, Link."

Link just nodded and smiled back, "Hopefully sooner rather then later Robbie." he was a weird guy, but she really liked him. Link had met so many interesting people on her journey so far and she couldn't wait to meet even more. Focusing, Link looked down at the Sheikah slate. Rito Village and Gerudo Town.. which of the two should she go to first? She had her father's snowquill set to keep her warm in Hebra, so she could save on money and elixirs. She burrowed her eyes a little, but she shouldn't just think of Rito Village just because it was easier and because she knew Kass, both Urbosa and Revali needed help after all. Next to her, she could hear the whirring (almost guardian like, but not exactly) of the beasts as their lasers appeared and in front of her the Sheikah slate started to glow blue as it floated above her hands and Link watched amazed even as the indecisive panic rose in her: Rito or Gerudo, which one? She couldn't decide! They both needed her help after all! (In the very back of her mind though, she was thinking of an old woman who she had left behind and wanted so desperately to see again..) as the Sheikah slate absorbed the energy, Link felt her own feet rise up again from Ruta's trunk as she reached out toward the Sheikah slate floating in front of her. Rito or Gerudo Link, just pick one, it wasn't that hard!

Link clenched her eyes shut and grabbed the Sheikah slate as the energy surrounded her: Rito! No, Gerudo! No, Rito! She desperately reached out to the voice in the slate, ( _"Can't you decide for me? Which one is more important to do first?" | "They both are equally as important as each other."_ ) Link gasped as her eyes flew open, both entire eyes glowing bright blue before she disappeared in a similiar blue glow of light which travelled upwards to the sky.

"Wow." Daruk muttered, as he watched the blue light disappear, "Sheikah technology really is something else, huh?" Mipha looked worried as she stood back, deactivating Ruta's charge as soon as she was gone. "I hope she made it alright.."

* * *

Link gasped out again as she reappeared.. somewhere. The first thing she was aware of was her temperature. It wasn't too cold here like she thought it would be in Hebra, _or_ too hot like she thought it would be in the Gerudo desert. She was floating again in the air, the blue aura glow still around herself and the slate as she looked around wildly. Then to the north west, she saw it a large raised up platform of land that seemed to be completely covered in thick fog. She knew immediately where she was as the Sheikah slate beeped frantically at her. "That's the Great Plateau.." Link said numbly. Then she looked down. The entirety of Lake Hylia was below her and she realised what had happened as the blue aura around her began to disappear and Link began to plummet to the lake below her.


	14. Malanya Spring / Spring of Courage

_Many years before, the younger Kass watched from afar at three Rito who were standing on Revali's Landing and talking among each other: Laissa and Bedoli and.. Kass' heart fluttered a little at he saw the green feathered Rito Amali laugh at something one of the two had said. Next to him, the Rito elder Kaneli sighed. "Why don't you just tell her how you feel Kass?"_

_"I've tried.." Kass mumbled, as he looked back over at the elder in his hut. "But I don't think she really understands. We've been friends for so long now, since we were children but.." Kass looked down at his own feathers, "I just wish I could show her just how I feel."_

_"Hmm." Kaneli pondered for a moment, "I've heard of a rumour among the Hylians who speak of a rare flower called the Silent Princess. I believe it's said that if you swear your love before one, that your love will be eternally bound. But perhaps gifting her one will explain to Amali, more then just words alone, how you truly feel?"_

_Kass' heart rose in his chest, "The Silent Princess? That sounds perfect elder Kaneli, where can I find one?"_

_A day later, once the young Rito was fully prepared and as the sun rose in the distance as early morning broke, he was soaring over the Tanagar Canyon and towards Satori Mountain in the distance. Kass was just passing over Washa's Bluff with the strange large mushrooms that covered Hyrule Ridge, when he stopped all of a sudden. Kass could have sworn that he could hear.. music? Flapping his wings as he remained in the air, the Rito glanced over to the tallest mushroom where the music appeared to be coming from and he squinted his eyes a little to see better._

_There appeared to be a person sitting on that mushroom and the Rito panicked, ignoring his quest for a Silent Princess for now as he flew over to the mushroom. They clearly weren't a Rito, how had they even gotten up there? Were they stuck? He needed to go help them immediately. As Kass got closer though, he started to hear singing from the figure on the mushroom. "When the moon bleeds and the fiends are reborn~ the monks will invite you as they have sworn~ but first you must stand on the pedestal bare~ with nothing between you and the night air~" The Rito was struck by how.. melancholy the person's voice was as he touched down on the mushroom. As he did, the person stopped singing, turning to face him. It was an elderly Sheikah man with white hair and red eyes, playing some odd instrument the Rito had never seen before._

_Kass had been about to ask if the man was okay and needed help getting down, but as he looked at those sorrowful red eyes, the Rito found he suddenly wasn't able to speak. The Sheikah instead spoke first, smiling at him, "Ah.. you're a Rito, aren't you? What's your name?"_

_"I.. I'm Kass."_

_"Kass." the Sheikah nodded, playing a few notes on his instrument again. "That's a nice name. We're a while away from Rito Village, what are you doing out here Kass?"_

_"I.. ah.." Kass coughed a little, suddenly embarassed, "I came out here to find a Silent Princess."_

_The Sheikah stopped playing the instrument at his words, looking up at the cloudy sky above them. "..A Silent Princess hm?" he turned to the Rito and Kass noted that pinned to the lapel of his white Sheikah jacket was the very same flower the Rito was looking for. The flower was old though, the blue almost completely disappeared from it's petals. It seemed to be far too old to have survived this long without special care and maybe a little Sheikah magic. "You have somone you care for enough to search for a rare Silent Princess for?"_

_Kass nodded, "Yes sir." The Sheikah had a regretful look in his eyes, as he continued to play the instrument. "That's good. You cherish that person for the rest of your life, young Rito." Kass didn't know it then, but as he was drawn to the Sheikah's side, sitting down next to him as he listened to the music, that chance encounter would affect the course of the rest of his life._

* * *

Link's eyes blearily opened as streams of light from the sun above them penetrated the small forest, and she turned to her side under the camp she was at, with the small fire roaring next to her. "Suzuna.." she croaked and the Hylian at the campfire turned to her, relief in her brown eyes. "Thank the goddess, you're awake again. When you passed out again that last time, I thought that was it.. how are you feeling now Link? Think you can eat something now?" Link groaned as she sat up. The world was still spinning around her even now, hours later after being dragged out of the waters of Lake Hylia by the Hylian woman who now sat in front of her. Link hadn't remembered much of the fall, but it appeared she'd managed to get her stealth armour on her just in the nick of time so she wouldn't sink in the waters of Lake Hylia with the heavy metal armour on her. The first time she had awoken, after Suzuna had pulled her out and brought the Hylian to the camp she had set up, it had been really the only thing she had noticed, the blue soaked Sheikah style clothing on her. Link had remembered the Hylian introducing herself and Link telling her her own name, before briefly wondering where the Sheikah slate was, and passing out once more. Now as she looked around, she finally spotted the device next to where she had been sleeping and sighed out relieved as she picked up the slate.

"Oh yeah, that weird thing." Suzuna said, handing her a baked apple, "I found it next to you in the water. I'm not sure what it is, but I figured it was yours so I grabbed it while I was getting you back to shore." Link peered miserably into the deactivated slate. As grateful as she was for being saved by the Hylian, just the fact that she had managed to let some random Hylian see it made her feel like a failure (also, the fact that she had screwed up her possible only teleport and ended up here instead Rito Village or Gerudo Town didn't help either). She put the Sheikah slate on her belt and took one of the baked apples from Suzuna, thanking her as she bit into the soft sweet flesh.

Suzuna looked up, "It's still pretty early, but we should really thinking about heading to the Highland Stable soon. If we leave now, we'll get there in less then an hour, you think you can walk Link? I can always help you if you're struggling." there was a soft look in the Hylian's eyes, and Link couldn't help but smile. The kindness of fellow Hylians on the road was always something that lifted her heart, despite everything she had been through so far.

As the two Hylians approached the stable with the sun descending in the distance and Link limping a litle as the other Hylian supported her, Suzuna explained why she had come to the Lake Region: a few years back she had lost a dear friend, a horse she loved, and that she had heard rumours of a spring that could possibly revive her fallen friend. Link had thought nothing could surprise her in this world of Hyrule anymore, but the thought of a being that could revive something from the dead was something that managed to do it. She wondered, if the being truly did exists, why they could only revive horses? When Suzuna asked her if she believed that such a thing that could exist, Link's pessimism kicked in before she realised and the Hylian child hesitated maybe a little too much, as Suzuna looked a little sadened. Link stammered, saying "Of course, nothing's impossible. If no-one seen that being, then who's to say they _can't_ exist?" And Suzuna just nodded, still smiling a little sadly. Later that evening, as Link looked out into the starry night sky from her bed in the stable, she looked at the sleeping Hylian in the bed near her, feeling guilty. _Lady saves your life and you have to crush her dream, huh Link?_

Pulling out the slate, Link curled under the duvet, activating the map rune and scrolling out from her location to see the whole of Faron. She followed the path they had walked earlier back to Faron Woods, through Pagos Woods and towards Zonai Ruins. Link burrowed her eyebrows a little. _Now_ the place said Zonai Ruins sure, but she remembered a completely different map once with a completely different word there.. shaking her head, she continued to follow the path on the map: Sarjon Woods, Lakeside Stable, Floria Bridge, Ebara Forest, Atun Valley.. there she finally saw it as her eyes glistened with tears. She was so close to Lurelin Village, she could almost smell the Necluda Sea once more. Sighing she lowered the slate as she pulled the duvet further up on her. The guilt felt like it was eating away at her very spirit. Link had messed up so bad, the voice in the slate hadn't even spoke to her since she had first woken up, despite her timidly attempting to reaching out to it. Link pulled up the slate once more, scrolling back west to her current location, Highland Stable. As she did though, she suddenly saw something very interesting just before she reached the stable on the map: Horse God Bridge.

* * *

In the dead of the night, with the stars twinkling above her Link moved as fast as she could over the small mountain behind the stable. Even after all this time, recieving both her father's snowquill set and buying the soldier's set, Link was still pretty sure that she liked the stealth armour the most. She had managed to leave the stable without anyone noticing, and here in the nighttime her speed was increased even more then usual. As she slid back down the mountain on her feet, the Sheikah material didn't make a single sound as she she stepped onto the bridge and followed the path foward, before breaking out into a run. Around her there were many butterflies and as her speed increased, making a louder sound on the ground below her they were startled and flew away. In front of Link, she sptted a large green bud with an orange platform leading to it. Link stopped right in front of it. She had seen something like this before. ( _Cottla back in Kakariko, pointing out the green flower in the distance, telling Link that her mother had told her a fairy lived inside it._ )

Swallowing a little nervously, Link approached the odd green flower, stepping up on the orange platform in front of it. Reaching out, she gently touched one hand to the bud. It was.. surprisingly warm. As she did though, she gasped as a voice suddenly spoke out to her seemingly through the bud itself. "Sweet girl.. please.. listen to my story..?" Link could only nod in response, "I am Malanaya.. hast thou.. I mean.. have you ever felt the pain of losing a horse companion? If my power is returned to me, I may be able to help you out in some way.. so please.. I beg of you.. help me regain the power I've lost. All I need is 1000 rupees." Link jolted at that, "Rupees? What does an ancient powerful being that can revive horses need rupees for?"

The being was silent, before the bud opened slightly and a large hand came out. Under her Sheikah stealth mask, Link flushed realising she had probably just been incredibly rude to this being (she hadn't _intended_ to sound ungrateful or anything, it had been more of a genuine question then anything), but thinking of Suzuna back in the stable again.. Link pulled out the slate, withdrawing three golden rupees and one silver rupee from it. She hoped Kiyah didn't mind that she was using the rupees for something like this as the handed the rupees out towards the being. The hand grabbed the rupees maybe a little too roughly as it moved back into bed which closed again.

"I'm sorry.." Link muttered as she put the slate back on her belt, looking down embarassed, "I didn't mean to offend you."

"None taken child." the voice came out, "And thank you. You are too kind." then Link gasped and the girl stepped back as the bud began to move around, some sort of purple smoke coming from the very tip of it, before the entire bud burst at once, "Nwaaaagh.. I.. am.. REVIVED!" purple smoke erupted from the bud and Link yelped as she shut her eyes as the strange smoke completely engulfed her.

When Link opened her eyes again, there was now a massive purple flower burst out in front of her where the bud used to be, with even more purple smoke coming from the center of it. "Oh.. wow.." Link muttered, leaning over a little. As she did though, the water in the middle of the flower seemed to bubble before two hands came out of it, one after the other, grabbing onto the petals of the purple flower before.. a being pushed itself out of the water. And it certainly was a being that Link had never seen before, with its hands disconnected from the rest of the body, although looking at the wooden mask the being seemed to wear, something was.. oddly familiar about it that she couldn't place. Link suddenly felt even more nervous, as the being seemed to stretch out a little, "Ho ho ho.. at last! Free of that tiny bud for so long! If my arms were corporeal, they'd have cramped for sure!" the being then peered down at the tiny Hylian before it and Link grew even more nervous still as her hands fidgeted by her sides. After everything that had happened in her journey so far, odd Sheikah trials, monster attacks and diving into the Champions's memories to free their corrupted spirits, somehow this was the most unnerving thing she had experienced so far. In front of her, the being was continuing, "I am Malanya. I am the god who watches over the horses of this world. I suppose you deserve a reward for setting me free.. what shall I do.." Malanya then suddenly leaned over her, raising its hands to her menacingly, " _Shall I make you my meal?!_ "

Link couldn't help but yelp out at that sharply, falling backwards onto platform behind her and covering her clothed mouth with her hands as she trembled. Malanya fell back instantly, realising it had gone too far and had scared the child, "Do not be alarmed sweet girl, I only jest.. now let me see.." Link sighed out as she shakily got back to her feet and then Malanya was peering down at her, "Hm.. do you really not own a single horse? I can't imagine going through the world without a faithful steed to keep me company.. to each their own, I suppose. In that case, I, the god of horses, can not do much for you who avoids horses for some reason.."

"O-oh!" Link had almost forgotten why she had come here, with how strange everything had been so far. "I've been kinda too busy to catch any horses on my journey so far, but I'm not here for myself, I'm here for my Hylian friend Suzuna. She lost a horse a while back.. I.. I think she said the horse's name was.. Nima? I was wondering if you could revive it?"

"Hm.." Malanya pondered, "usually I need the person themselves in front of me.. but you _did_ revive me, and you _do_ know the owner and horses name after all.. let me have a look for a moment." and Malanya disappeared back under the water. Link sighed as she sat down, pulling the slate out and scrolling on the map again. She moved back to the Zonai Ruins and as she scrolled north on the map north without really thinking, wanting to look at Kakariko Village, she suddenly saw an area that stopped her thoughts as her eyes flashed blue for a moment.. she could see it now on the map, what appeared to be a large monument of a dragons head just above a strange shaped river with the text Spring of Courage on it.

Link shook her head, as she deactivated the slate. No, _no_ , she didn't need to go there. She had been to the Spring of Wisdom and the Spring of Power, but she had no reason to go there. Or to go to Lurelin, she thought even as the thought pained her. She needed to cross Lake Hylia again and head then west across Central Hyrule. Then, once she reached Outskirt Stable, she could head north to Hebra, or west to the desert. That was the plan, Link thought firmly. She would have Suzuna's horse revived, and then head straight for one of the two remaining Divine Beasts. Link looked up at Malanya returned, "I found the horse you were asking about.. the Hylian Suzuna's Nima. Poor thing, it seems it lost its life against a guardian as it successfully defended her from a blast." Link grasped at her chest, shutting her eyes and thinking of her parents, "What a brave little horse, giving its own life to save its dear friend." Malanya murmured, "So you wish to revive it?" Link reopened her eyes, nodding even as tears welled up in her eyes.

"C-can.." Link found herself asking, her voice low as she looked down, somehow already knowing the answer before she even asked the question, "Are.. are you able to revive people too..?"

Malanya looked at the girl in front of it, feeling the pain radiating from her small body, as the being spoke very quietly, too quietly, "Unfortunately, that is far beyond mine.. or _any_ god's power. Even the first goddesses who created this world of Hyrule would not have that power. The people of Hyrule, their spirits are more powerful then you could ever imagine. Animals.. like horses.. their spirits are much more.. simpler." Malanya placed one of its hands on Link's head, gently stroking her hair, as Link looked back up at the being, "And you would not want it anyway, sweet girl. Only an incredibly powerful _curse_ could bring a spirit back from that realm. And while their spirit would, in theory, remain the same, they would still need a new body to inhabit in this world. A new body has a new life, new memories. They would not be the same person as when they left this realm."

Link nodded, feeling like she sort of understood even if it still hurt. "Shall I tell you a story of when I was first born into this realm?" Malanya continued, gently. "There was once a Hylian girl, much like you, who lived in this realm of Hyrule long before you could even imagine. This girl, she deeply loved horses and when her life was coming to an end, she prayed deeply to the great goddesses, wishing for a protector for all of the horses in Hyrule, and not just the descendents of the horses she took care of. It was said then, that one goddess, forgotten by time itself, heard her plea and granted it, creating.. well.. me. It was said that I was named after that girl, but I do not know for sure even now." Malanya removed its hand from Link's head as it conentrated its power into reviving Suzuna's horse, "Child, it was a wonderous gift you were given, that of your life: your spirit. You can dwell on the past all you like, but you should not at the expense of your future. Go out, into the world of Hyrule and enjoy this precious gift that was given to you. Be good, and kind, and.. _live_."

* * *

"Link!!" Suzana called out as she looked out towards Haran Lake and Fural Plains in the distance, looking around frantically for the Hylian child who had seemingly vanished over night. None had even seen her leave, not even the innkeeper Padok who had been awake all night watching from the outside area as his patrons slept. The Hylian woman was worried sick. When she had first seen the child seeimgly fall from the sky to the lake below, Suzuna had just been crossing the southern end of the Bridge of Hylia and she had rushed down there immediately worrying that it was already too late as she had swam out into the cold waters of the lake. Luckily somehow despite all odds the girl had miraclously survived, floating on the water's surface on her back just by the small dock on the eastern side and Suzuna had carried her all the way to Faron Woods where they were protected by the trees above them before setting up camp there while she rest.

Suzuna suddenly could hear the sounds of hooves clopping to the south behind her and turned to see Link in the distance walking towards the stable. And beside her.. Suzuna's hands moved to her mouth as she was overwhelmed by emotions. It was Nima. Her Nima, that she had caught in the very same Nima Plains by Satori Mountain, a light tan horse with half and half colouring and a long haired yellow mane with a white snout. Link approached her, "Hi Suzuna.. sorry, I didn't scare you did I?" Suzuna just sobbed as she clung to her beloved horse, and Nima snorted a little pressing her snout into her owners shoulder almost comfortingly as Link just smiled.

In the stable however, there was a Hylian who was looking at Link with cold eyes as he quietly slipped out in the commotion..

An hour later, after Suzuna thanked Link for what felt like the twentieth time as the Hylian girl just smiled waving at her, the Hylian woman trotted off on her horse back to her home village, leaving Link alone in the stable as she sighed, thinking of the path ahead of her. She glanced over to Haran Lake and the wild horses there in the distance, thinking of Malanya's words. Maybe it _would_ be best to catch a horse of her own, it would be much quicker to travel around on one and she would enjoy the company of a horse companion of her own, remembering how nice it was to travel with Kiyah's horse Firly back between Kakariko and Hateno.. as Link moved towards the path leading outside the stable though, she suddenly heard a voice from behind the back of the stable:

"..did you hear? That Rito was spotted not too far from here again." Link blinked a little. A Rito? The stable was busy again, and no-one else seemed to be able to taking notice of the conversation as she turned around to the back of the stable, spotting two Hylians talking behind the stable. "Really?" the other Hylian replied. "He's been here before at Highland Stable hasn't he? He's the one with that instrument right.." Link jolted. They were talking about Kass! So he was near here? "Hm." the first Hylian nodded, "Think I saw him heading up north from those ruins in Pagos Woods." The second Hylian gaped at that, "Really?! Ain't those ruins supposed to be convered in monsters?! Seems kinda dangerous for a single Rito to go there all by themselves.." Link felt her blood run cold as she pressed her back to the stable and her eyes flashed blue. _Kass.._ she thought desperately to herself as she looked up to the north east where the map had shown her. Her plans were immediately forgotten, as she headed off in that direction.

Behind the stable, Dorian watched the Hylian leave in a panic with an almost bored look on his disgused face as he dispelled the clone next to him. Hylians really were far too predictable and this had been all too easy.

* * *

As Link approached the area called the Zonai Ruins on her map, she peered into the distance through the thick fog of the jungle as her eyes glowed blue. The voice in the slate still had not spoken to her since she had first teleported to Lake Hylia and it felt weird going so long without it. She took in a deep breath, her eyes flashing to green, before flashing back to blue. She was getting the hang of this more and more so with each passing day. Link still had no idea what it meant, when her eyes changed colour, but her senses felt more.. alive when she had them activated. She could almost feel every change in the air around her, she could even sense monsters nearby (although she could probably sense that even _without_ her eyes as the malice burn on her shoulder warned her enough). Taking in another deep breath, with Robbie's Ancient Sword, Shield and Bow equipped and her soldier's armour on her once more, Link stepped between the Zonai pillars leading the way into the ruins in front of her.

There was a monster camp between the two pillars, but she could sense no monsters up there as she walked boldly through the area and on the path towards Damel Forest. She didn't even think about what that could possibly mean though, it just meant that she'd have less to fight on the path towards the Spring of Courage. As she approached the second monster camp though, she started to realise something as she looked around the empty camp. This place was supposed to be full of monsters, but she hadn't seen a single one so far. Not even the relatively weak chuchus that would litter around stronger monsters. As Link approached a metal chest on one of the camps, she opened it to find a single silver rupee storing it into the slate and noting how there seemed to be more chests leading up the path towards Dracozu River. Link wasn't dumb, or.. at least, she liked to _think_ that she wasn't as she looked towards the continued path. And yet.. she was intrigued. Putting the sword back on her back as the blue energy disappeared from it, she reached for the bow instead as she carefully followed the path forwards. It seemed too obvious of a trap.. or maybe it wasn't obvious _enough_ as she pulled the slate from her belt, looking at the map once more seeing the directed path leading to Dracozu Lake. There were other ways she could get to the Spring of Courage, she could climb the small hill above the jungle and head east around to the Spring, or head west up the mountain leading to Tobio's Hollow. And yet.. somehow.. she didn't feel like she was in immediate danger at all. And as she got closer to the Spring of Courage, she felt like.. something was drawing her closer to the area. Briefly, she wondered if it was the last dragon she had yet to meet, Farosh and clutching the bow tighter, Link followed the directed path all the way to Dracozu Lake.

* * *

Sitting on the head of the dragon in the center the open (and now devoid of monsters) area, Dorian watched almost in disbelief (and yet somehow not surprised at all) as the Hero walked over one of the bridges leading to the center area. As he stood up on the dragon's head dispelling the illusion on himself, he supposed it was time to get in character..

As Link stepped into the center of the open area, the mood just in front of the Spring of Courage shifted as a tense atmosphere pierced the less thick fog around them. Still, although the voice wasn't speaking to her through the slate, there was an odd feeling enveloping her through it. She wasn't in danger. In front of her, there was a swarm of red talismans and then.. Link's eyes widended as the incredibly large Yiga blademaster teleported, blocking the way to the Spring of Courage in front of her. He had one hand resting on the hilt of his weapon, and even though his mask covered his face, Link knew immediately who the blademaster was. "Dorian."

The blademaster chuckled darkly, "I should really have you killed for knowing my name like that. If you were any regular Hylian traveler, you _would_ be by now." he leaned backwards a little, the top of his shadow just reaching her as the sun moved over Dueling Peaks in the distance, despite their actual bodies being on opposite ends of the lake.

Link's eyes narrowed a little, "Then why haven't you? I'm not naive, you took out all the monsters on the path here didn't you? And I've heard from Kiyah--" (Dorian let out a somewhat annoyed sigh as his fingers tightened on the hilt of his weapon) "--I know all about your Yiga Clan now. How you're supposed to be dedicated to taking out the Hero. Why would you do that? Surely you would want the monsters to attack me?"

"Because _hero_." Dorian spat, "If I wanted you _dead_ , you would have been so long before you ever reached Zora's Domain almost eleven days ago now." Link jolted as she stepped back, her eyes wide. "Was it nice by the way? Getting to fight alongside me and that Zora Prince on Luto's Crossing?" Link grit her teeth a little, her hands tightening on the bow. "You had no idea back then of course, you thought I was just a regular Hylian like you. In Akkala too--" Link looked up, tears now visible in her eyes, "I truly am sorry for lying to you, by the way hero.. it's just that wildberries are so easy to get in the Gerudo Highlands."

" _Why are you telling me this?_ " Link asked quietly, looking down at her feet.

"Because _hero_. Contrary to what you just told me, you _are_ naive. It is in your Hylian nature after all." Dorian sighed as he shrugged a little, "Even Kiyah, despite being pure blood Sheikah, thanks to being raised more or less in a Hylian settlement like Hateno, she is more like _you_ Hylians then her Sheikah bretheren. She is kind and loving.." he couldn't help but smile a little behind his mask, thankful it was covering his face, "..and willing to help _anyone_.. even the injured Yiga footsoldier she found, when her Sheikah bretheren would have just abandoned them." Dorian looked back towards the Hylian in front of him. She was now looking at him, determination on her face despite the tears in her eyes. There wasn't any surprise on the Hylian's face at all and Dorian wondered just how much of his and Kiyah's past she had been told as he continued, "You know, here I was thinking I would have to force you to end this deluded journey you've been forced on. But here you are, in your home region of Faron region once more. I was hoping perhaps you had realised just how pointless your quest actually was and had decided to go home?" Even as he spoke though, Dorian had started to pull the windcleaver from it's scabbard and Link noticed something in the day that she hadn't noticed before that night in Kakariko. Attached just above the three pronged large hilt of the blade was some sort of dark blue ribbon wrapped around the actual hilt. It sort of looked part of the material from the belt of the traditional Sheikah attire that had been ripped..

Link looked back up at that white mask adorned wth the upside down Sheikah symbol as she reached for the slate, storing all of Robbie's Ancient weapons back into it before pulling out the blade that seals the darkness. "Sorry but no, I ended up back in Faron because of an unforessen incident, but I fully intend to go to both Rito Village and Gerudo Town as soon as possible."

Dorian scoffed as he fully unsheathed the blade, pointing it in her direction, "Gerudo Town.. do you even _hear_ yourself right now? Don't you know just how dangerous the desert is? The days are boiling hot, and the nights are icy cold. There are great beasts called Molduga living deep beneath the sand that can attack you at any moment, some of the most dangerous monsters in Hyrule call that desert as well as the towering highlands above their home.." he stepped forward, slowly towards the hero in front of him, "..that's why our ancestors, the first Yiga, made it our home thousands of years ago. We Yiga _are_ monsters after all, so we fit in right well with the most dangerous monsters of them all, don't you agree Hero?"

Link's eyes softened as she looked at Dorian even as he approached her, "..Do you really believe that? That you're monsters.."

"We fight like monsters. We _kill_ like monsters." Dorian pressed one hand to his mask, "We revel in malice and the blood moon just like monsters." ( _"Do you remember the first blood moon you ever saw?" Link remembered Douma.. no Dorian asking her as they sat by the campfire._ ) "I think, to the Hylians we ambush and attack, they would see no difference between us at all."

"Well, I don't think you're monsters." Link said quietly, even as she raised her blade to him, and for a moment, her eyes flashed back to their usual green, "I think you're just people who were forced to take this path by your own ancestors, even if you now believe it to be the right thing to do."

Dorian couldn't help but laugh bitterly at her words, "Well, you _would_ know all about that, wouldn't you Hero?" the quiet of the lake and jungle was then broken as he lunged at her, raising the windcleaver above his head. Link's eyes flashed immediately back to blue as she dodged right in the nick of time to her side and Dorian felt himself staggering forwards slightly just like that night in Kakariko as Link rushed around him. Dorian growled, she could attack him so easily while he staggered like that, but she was choosing not too as she ran forwards to the Spring of Courage. Raising one hand, he signaled as he focused his magic, erecting a shield barrier right in front of the dragon's head and Link yelped as she jumped back, her passage forwards blocked. She tapped the Sheikah slate and brought out that strange blue shield from before as she placed the blade back in its scabbard on her back.

"You can't just defend." Dorian growled darkly as he stepped back towards her, "A monster wouldn't go easy on you. A monster would _kill_ you without a second thought if you let it. You need to fight with everything you have just to survive _Link_!" he heard himself speak the Hero's name and immediately regretted it as he tried to cool his emotions. Dorian had to stay impartial. He _had_ too. "Attack me like you would any monster! Like your very life depends on it, Hero!" ( _"Treat me like you would any monster out in the open fields of Hyrule." the Sheikah monk Tutsuwa Nima's voice called out to her from the shrine at the Spring of Power._ ) Link braced her feet against the path, time seeming to slow around her at Dorian lunged for her once more. Just in time once more, she thrust the shield out at him as his windcleaver came down on her, the metal blade smashing into the blue energy of the shield. Dorian yelled out as the surprisingly powerful energy of the shield (almost as powerful as the blade back when they had clashed above Kakariko) threw him back, and his back slammed into the ground as his windcleaver left his hand, falling to the ground a few metres behind him.

"I already told you back in Kakariko, and I'll tell you again now." Link said firmly as she lowered the shield, determination on her young face, "I will not fight you. You're not a monster Dorian. You're a living breathing _person_ just as I am."

Dorian shuddered as he stood back up, reaching for his weapon, his fingers brushing over the blue cloth almost gently (Link noted that reaction) tied to its hilt before picking up the blade once more, looking at the shield maybe a little curiously, "..I'd heard of that Sheikah who lives in Akkala and his crafted weapons. I had no idea they were that powerful though. He should really count his blessings that Master Kohga has allowed him to live all these years." Dorian immediately realised his mistake as Link stared at him, "..Who's Master Kohga?"

"Don't you worry about any of that!" Dorian snapped, angry at himself, "If you want to die so badly on this pointless quest of yours so badly, then please, by all means, continue forwards like so many of your predecessors have before you! But if you have any sense in you whatsoever, and the wish to live to adulthood, then you should adhere to what I've told you and _GO HOME_!!" he charged forward again, and Link could almost hear the desperation in Dorian's voice. Her eyes glowing brightly blue, she reached out for the slate, putting away the shield and raised the blade once more as she rushed forward to meet him, the two blades clashing against each other and sparks flying as what felt like their own resolves clashed against one other, "This is your last warning Hero." Dorian growled above her, " _If you know what's good for you; stay away from Gerudo Town._ " His 'face' (rather his mask) seemed to raise off to suddenly in the distance looking at the Spring of Courage behind her as the Yiga blademaster let out a scream of anger, before pulling back from the clash and _throwing_ the windcleaver at her.

Link yelped as she dove to the ground and the windcleaver smashed into the magical barrier behind her. There was a sickening sound as the metal hit rock and Link turned to look as Dorian seemed frozen in his place. What she saw made her gasp sadly. The statue of the goddess behind her had been smashed in half with the windcleaver sticking out of the statue.

"The goddess statue.." Link murmured softly, thinking of her grandmother back in Lurelin. Behind her, Dorian snapped back to attention. He hated the goddess sure, but.. why had he done that? For a split second, it was like.. his body hadn't been his own as he looked down to his hands. As he looked back at the broken goddess statue, helplessly, he couldn't help but think of Kiyah's sadened face. Dorian reached out to his windclevear, focusing his magic on the blade as it shook a little before bringing it back to him without needing to touch it. Link gasped from her place on the floor, "Magnesis.." she murmured softly, her blue eyes focused on Dorian as he lightly touched the blue cloth still weapped around the hilt. He needed to get home immediately. There was something _not right_ about this place, the Spring of Courage. Peering down at Link who was still staring at him, he growled. "You should count yourself lucky too, Hero." he focused his magic around him as he teleported away, leaving Link alone in Dracozu Lake.

Climbing back to her feet, Link hoisted the blade back into the scabbard as her eyes shifted back to their usual green. Then, all of a sudden, the Sheikah slate at her side beeped a little. But strangely it sounded a little different to the usual beep it made as Link took it from her belt, lifting it up curiously to her face, "What, _now_ you want to talk to me?" The slate beeped again and as her eyes flashed blue, she glanced back to the broken goddess statue. "You.. want me to go to the statue?" she placed the slate back on her belt as she approached it slowly, before a voice called out to her from above: "Link!!"

Link looked up, recognising that voice instantly as she ran backwards (the slate beeping a little more incessantly at her as she did) "Kass!!" Link called, waving to the Rito relieved as he flew down to her. As Kass touched down, he looked around the lake, noting the damage on the pillars around them and the goddess statue in front, "What happened here?" the Rito asked, and Link kind of looked a little embarassed as she shrugged, "Monster attack?" the Rito didn't need to know about the Yiga blademaster who was seemingly following her around Hyrule, as he was already worried about her enough as it was. "There were a bunch of lizalfos around here, but I managed to snipe them all."

"I see." Kass said, unconvingingly as he crossed his wings, "So you sniped them with that sword you have there?"

"No, that was for the moblin right here in front of the goddess statue." Link continued, finding it rather surpsingly easy to lie, now that she had started, as she stored the blade back into the slate, "I used Robbie's bow for the lizalfos obviously."

" _Obviously_." Kass repeated, deadpan, "So that chest over there is your prize for taking out this monster camp?" he pointed one wing to the metal chest and Link's eyes lit up as she headed forwards, opening it. Inside there was a golden rupee and she stored in in the slate as Kass' eyes lifted to the broken goddess statue behind it. "..Must have been a bad fight." he spoke quietly.

"Yeah.." Link muttered sadly as the two approached it, the entire top half of the statue had broken off and was now lying in the shallow water beside the bottom half still attached to the spring. Link then saw something that caught her eye as the slate beeped one more time on her belt and she approached the statue. There was a little hollowed out area in the middle of the broken statue and inside it.. Link reached inside and pulled out a very old ancient looking scroll. "Link, what _is_ that?" Kass approached her as Link unscrolled it. What they saw made Kass gasp out as he reeled backwards in shock as Link looked down at in confusion, there was something about it that was.. almost familiar.

"A tapestry.." the Rito murmured, barely able to believe it, "it looks almost identical to the one in Impa's house." That was it. Link had seen that tapestry behind Impa's house, but had barely paid any attention to it with everything that had happened in Kakariko. The scroll was decayed and yellowing just like Impa's had been, but the events on this scroll were completely different. In four directions, up, down, left and right were four Sheikah monks, but they were.. different from the Sheikah monks she had met so far. Each of them appeared to be wearing a helmet shaped after each Divine Beast. And in the center of the scroll.. Kass shuddered, "The Great Calamity." It was just a drawing of the events and yet.. the Calamity seemed to be _screaming_ out at her through the scroll as it was sealed away. Whether in anger, or in pain, she couldn't tell, and the scroll itself seemed to tremble. A few moments later, Link realised it was her _own_ hands that were trembling as tears ran down her face from her blue eyes. Kass looked over at her worried. Link's eyes moved to the right and left side of the scroll, where two were more Sheikah monks were looking away from the center of the scroll as they were banished from Hyrule. The one on the left had the traditional Sheikah covering on their face, and the one on the right had a covering with an upside down Sheikah symbol (the Yiga Clan, Link realised with a start). "I'm not sure what this tapestry means.." Kass murmured, "but this could change _everything_. Link, is it okay if I take this to Kakariko for Impa to see?" without even the slate beeping its affirmation, Link wordlessly handed the tapestry to Kass. She didn't want to look at it anymore.

Kass nodded, taking the tapestry wrapping it back up and storing it with the other scrolls in his belt. "Well we should probably leave this place now." they stepped back out towards Dracozu Lake and as they did so a large shadow covered the entire lake. Link and Kass both looked up and Link muttered out, "Farosh.." she was unsurprised at this point as the large green electrical dragon flew over them. The dragon did not even look down at the the two below it, but a scale sparked off its body nonetheless, falling down to the lake in front of them as it continued its journey eastwards towards Lake Floria. Link just stepped forward, picking up the green scale and looking out at the dragon as it's shadow disappeared and the sunlight streamed back down into the jungle's clearing. "Thanks Farosh.." she murmured as she stored the scale into the slate.

Kass coughed as he stood forward, "Well, I suppose we should head to Faron Woods and north over the Bridge of Hylia, then we can seperate at the Outpost Ruins, I can head east over Proxim Bridge to get to Kakariko and you can head west to get to Outskirt Stable."

In Link's hand, the Sheikah slate began to beep again as she looked down into the screen, her eyes turning blue instantly. Written on the screen were ancient Sheikah text, but not in their usual blue. Instead they glowed an intense red as they spelled out ' **I WISH TO MEET YOU LINK. PLEASE COME TO EVENTIDE ISLAND.** ' Link felt a sudden strange glee in her, despite everything that had happened today as she turned to Kass who glanced at her back, "Acutally.. can we go back to Lurelin for a little while first?"


	15. Eventide Island

As Link and Kass approached the front gate leading to Lurelin, Link paused a moment looking up at it with aprehension. It had only been about three weeks since she had been first teleported from Palmorae Ruins to Korok Forest, but so _much_ had changed. She almost felt like a completely different person now from the mute child she was back then. Pressing her hands together a little nervously, Link looked down at the soldier's armour she was wearing, wondering if it would be better to get changed into her traditional Lurelin clothing instead. Kass glanced back at her as he waited near the gate, "Are you coming Link?"

Link looked up at the Rito, and he could see the nervousness in her eyes as she fidgeted a little on the spot. Kass nodded, before walking behind her and placing his wings on her shoulders. "Lurelin will always be your home Link." he spoke softly, "They've all been so worried about you since you first left, I know everyone will be so happy to see you again." Link just clasped her hands together, suddenly feeling helpless but Kass wordlessly put out one his wings towards her. Link looked up at her dear father's old friend, his soft and warm yellow eyes, remembering when he would come and visit the village when she was little. How he would play his instrument for her, getting better and better at the instrument each time he would come back to the village. Gathering her strength, Link reached out towards Kass' wing before a yell suddenly came from the village, disrupting the calm quietness of the Necluda Sea. Kass' head turned sharply back to the gate when the yell had come from, but in front of him Link had charged forward, rushing into the village already with her weapon out and her eyes blue. That had been Mubs' voice yelling out!

As Link's armour clad feet hit the sand leading the pathway to the inn, she ignored everything else around her as she ran past the inn. There, Mubs was yelling at a Hylian merchant with a donkey who was looking rather embarassed, "Twenty eight rupees for goat butter?!" Mubs was yelling, "You must think I'm stupid if I'm going to fall for that, thats double what others charge!"

"If you buy some of my other supplies I'll charge less for the goat butter." the Hylian merchant was muttering as she shifted her far too heavy clothing that was too thick for a humid region like Faron, "Tabantha Wheat, Goron Spice.. it took me so long to get here, don't you know how far away Faron is from Tabantha? I thought you Lurelin kind would gladly trade for rarer ingredients that can't be found here.."

Mubs crossed her arms, looking unimpressed. "We don't really cook baked desserts here, opting for the plentiful fresh fruit we can get in Faron instead. And spicy food is too strong for our palette. Lurelin villagers aren't interested in anything you have except for Hylian rice and goat butter, and we can get those cheaper from other merchants."

Even as the adrenaline inside her was calming down, realising that her home village wasn't being attacked after all, Link couldn't help but chuckle a little. Mubs was rather intense when it came to trading with merchants. The Hylian merchant grumbled a little but in the end, agreed to the usual price of fourteen rupees each for some of her Hylian rice and goat butter stock, the Hylian merchant turning and eyeing her (Link jolted, realising she still had her blade out before sheepishly placing it back in the scabbed on her back) before walking past without a word as she headed back outside the village with her donkey. Mubs sighed, holding the basket with the bought supplies as her and Link's eyes locked for a moment.

Link's breath caught in her chest as the even the air around the two seemed frozen, before Mubs gasped and dropped the basket, running towards her as Kass approached from behind, "Link, is that really you?! I hardly recognised you there wearing that soldier's armour!" Link pulled off the soldier's helm, maybe a little nervously running one hand through her hair as the other villagers began to approach them. From behind, Armes gently tapped her on the shoulder, "It's not the same without you around Link, we've really been missing your fishing skills you know?" while Kinov and Zuta were running around her legs, "Link! Where have you been? Come play with us! What's that cool sword you've got there--" while their parents tried to calm down the excited children. Link turned her head, hearing footsteps in the distance and spotted the village elder Rozel walking down the path leading to her home, and beside him..

"Link.." her grandmother's smile was warm and Link stepped towards her while the villagers moved out of their path (Kiana and Sebasto distracting their children, somehow managing to get them back to their hut). "Grandma.." Link heard herself say as she stood in front of the old woman who had survived the Calamity almost one hundred years ago (behind her she heard some of the villagers gasp at her voice) as her grandmother just smiled, her arms wrapping around the young girl's shoulders as she hugged her granddaughter. "Welcome home, Link."

* * *

About an hour later, Link was swallowing her last mouthfuls of seafood paella in bliss, chewing down the meaty seafood that complimented lovely with the well seasoned and buttery rice. "Oh goddess.." (she wasn't sure when she had picked that euphemism but it felt like it was entering her conversations more and more these days) "I've missed this so much." Her grandmother smiled at her, "Well, I've certainly missed making it for you too, dear."

Link sighed as she lay down on top of her old bed (which suddenly seemed to feel too small for her, even though she wasn't any bigger then when she left) turning on her side as she pulled out the Sheikah slate while her grandmother wasn't looking, having taken her empty plate to clean. Link tapped on the screen, pulling up the map which showed her location, before scrolling over to the extra state that had appeared after the Spring of Courage, still with the Ancient Sheikah message on it for her. She wanted to leave as soon as possible to get over there, but.. she peered over at her grandmother, feeling guilty. The old woman was so happy to have her back, and she didn't just want to leave her again. Link glanced to her side, wondering if it would have been better to head south from Atun Valley then west over Clarnet Coast before heading out east on the sea to Eventide. She shook her head though, no that wouldn't have worked, unless she had gone in the dead of night (which would have been far too dangerous with Aris Beach so close) she would have been likely been spotted by the village fishermen and then would have had to explain why she was trying to avoid them. It was better to come in through the front gate, she figured.

Near her, Kass was approaching, sitting on one of the nearby chairs as Link looked over at him, an almost pleading look in her eyes, "What do I do Kass?" she asked quietly, "I need to leave for Eventide immediately if I'm to get there before dark. How do I explain to her that I need to leave again?"

"I think.." Kass hesitated a little, and Link noted as he glanced away from her for a moment, looking to her grandmother who was outside talking with Rozel, "I think your grandmother understands a lot more then you give her credit for." Link looked up at him, "Link." the Rito spoke firmly, "You've fought monsters, freed powerful ancient machines, _saved_ great warriors and.." Kass patted his side where his scrolls were and where Link's new reply for Kiyah was now securely stored, having been given her new letter when they had finally had time to rest back in Lakeside Stable the other day, "You've brought hope to people who haven't had hope for a long time." he placed a wing on top of her hand in which the Sheikah slate was clasped as Link looked up at the Rito. She still didn't feel like a hero at all, but seeing the Rito's unwavering confidence in her, Link couldn't help but nod as she gathered her strength, taking a deep breath and heading outside to where her grandmother was still talking with Rozel.

As Link approached, Rozel glanced towards her before heading off down the path towards the east gate leading to Gogobi Shores, leaving the two alone as Kass waited in the entrance to their home. Her grandmother turned to her, that smile still on her face. "Ah, Link dear?"

"I'm sorry." Link blurted out, her confidence shattered in an instant at that look on her grandmother's face (a memory of her praying in front of the goddess statue the first night they officially had met appearing in her mind all of a sudden) as her hands balled into fists by her side. The blade on her back had never felt heavy before now, but here, in front of her grandmother.. all of a sudden Link could feel its heavyness weighing down on her very spirit, "I can't stay. I want too, I want to stay here so badly but.. I.."

Her grandmother just smiled, "I know dear." Link looked down, tears welling up in her eyes as her grandmother approached her, placing the palms of her hands on her granddaughter's cheeks and gently lifting her head up, forcing them to lock eyes, her grandmother's blue eyes and her own green ones. "You have something important that only you can do, don't you Link?" her voice was soft. Far too soft.

"Yes." Link choked out, pushing herself forward and wrapping her arms around her grandmother's back, hugging her desperately. There were words that were going unsaid between them as her grandmother hugged her back. She was already one hundred and five years old. It was practically a miracle that she had lived this long in the first place. Every day Link spent away from Lurelin was a day that potentially be her grandmother's last, and here she was off playing Hero for some ancient Sheikah who had selected her seemingly because she had the same name as some other Hero from a century ago. As her grandmother's fingers tightened around her granddaughter's shoulders, Link had the funny feeling her grandmother was thinking the same thing. Neither of them wanted to lose the only family they had left in this world.

The hug continued for a few moments more, until finally, almost regrettably they pulled away and her grandmother smiled at her once more, "Well then dear, you'll have to get going before its too dark to safely travel." and Link nodded, "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"I know you will, dear." And as Link wandered off towards the east gate with her grandmother watching her go, Kass approached the old woman from where he had been waiting, the two looking out as the elder Rozel caught up with Link to speak with her as they left the east gate, as the sun shone brightly down on the small village.

Kass spoke out quietly, "Both you and Link have gotten so strong. When I left for Kakariko, I was still rather worried about you all, but it's nice to things are slowly returning back to normal here."

She turned to him, smiling, "Oh yes, Rozel, Mubs and Chessica were trying to keep a facade of everything being okay for the sake of the travelers and merchants we need, but once that Sheikah came and explained everything, everything calmed down a lot more here."

"Ah.." Kass said, trying to keep the alarm from his yellow eyes, "a.. Sheikah?"

"Yes, the one from Kakariko who arrived a few days after you left." Link's grandmother entered the small hut as Kass followed, "He was surprisngly short for a Sheikah, I thought they would be much taller, but he wore traditional Sheikah garb and that same style of hat that you wear. He told us all about how Link had shown up there in Kakariko and how she hadn't stayed long before having to move on. He told us how it was important that we do not tell any travelers or merchants about our missing villager, even if he couldn't explain why, and that even now the Sheikah were doing everything in their power to keep her safe." she smiled, "It took a lot of weight off my mind, to know that the Sheikah are keeping watch over her as she travels. That's all thanks to you and your connection with the Sheikah, isn't it Kass?"

"That's right." Kass nodded, even as alarm bells were ringing in his mind and a memory came to surface.

( _"Douma!" Kass had called out, spotting the familiar Hylian in front of him, sometime after he had seperated from Link back in Akkala and the Hylian glanced back at the Rito, a strange look of confusion on her face. "That's my name?" Douma had said as she shuffled the heavy pack on her back. Kass nodded, "I just wanted to thank you again for what you did the other day, you really helped us back there at Inogo Bridge."_

 _"Uh.." the Hylian stared at the Rito, "Sorry.. who are you again? I've met a lot of travelers on the road between Akkala, Eldin and Lanayru, but I think I would've remembered if I met a Rito.." Kass had just stared at the Hylian in shock before unconvincingly telling her that he was mistaken and hurriedly flying off._ )

Kass struggled with his own thoughts as Link's grandmother continued, "He was such a nice man as well. He spoke with all the villagers, not just me, to ease our worries, he even played with the boys and told them a story about his home village. He was so good with them, that Sheikah must have children of his own back in Kakariko." (Oh. Oh _no_.) "And he asked so many questions about Link, I think he didn't get to stay in the village himself for very long after she first showed up, as its a good while away from Necluda to Faron after all, so he didn't really get to know her back there. He even asked about her favourite foods." Kass was trying to keep his face neutral as he nodded at her words, touching the top of the scroll Link had found in the Spring of Courage at his side. He had to get back to Kakariko as soon as possible.

Beside him, Aryll looked out into the village again spotting the elder walking back to his hut. "Still, when I first saw her in that soldier's armour.." she said quietly as Kass looked up at her again, "I haven't thought about it for so long now, but.. she really does look the spitting image of _him_." And this time Kass couldn't help the grimace as he looked away, placing one wing over his beak as the guilt wracked through him.

* * *

Finding herself on the very shores she had been almost three weeks ago (the shrine they had unlocked was still here after all this time as well), Link took one look last look at Lurelin Village behind her, before stepping out onto the cryonis boat she had made with the rune, rotating the slate as she did so controlling the boat with it as she departed from Palmorae Beach and towards Eventide Island in the distance. As the cryonis boat parted the waters, she found Rozel's words were still ringing in her mind.

( _The elder shut his eyes as the two the walked through the east gate leading to Gogobi Shores, "You know, I recieved a letter a few days ago Link.. from my daughter in Hateno." Link froze as she looked over at Rozel. He could easily read the guilty looking expression on her face as he laughed softly, waving his hand a little, "Don't worry about it Link. All of us here in Lurelin know you're a good kid. If you and Kass had to lie about something like that, it must have been for a good reason, hm?" Link looked down, all of a sudden struggling with her voice. It reminded her of how she had been before she had gone to Korok Forest, before she had recieved the blade and the slate, before she could talk again._

 _"You've barely been back here for a few hours, but I can already tell how much you've struggled out there so far." Rozel continued, a serious look in his eyes, "It's only been a few weeks, but I can tell just how much you've changed already." Rozel sighed, "Whether that's been for better or worse, I can't tell just yet." Link startled, looking at him, and Rozel reached out holding her hands still clad in her soldier's arm guards in his own bare hands, "Link.. Lurelin will always be your home, and we will always be here for you should you wish to return. But.. remember, the only one who can make that choice is you. In the end, your life is your own Link. You shouldn't stay here just because you feel obligated to."_ _Link stared at Rozel incredously as he continued.  
_

_Rozel looked into her green eyes, "Back then, with what happened to your parents.. my daughter, Ralera, she refused to leave. She wanted to stay here in Lurelin and make sure you were okay.. but it was her dream to go to Hateno with her newly wed husband. I didn't want her to go back on that, so I made the decision for her and.. well, I more or less told her she had to go. They were all prepared and ready to leave after all. It would have taken too long to unpack everything and then pack again once things had calmed down and your grandmother had moved here to Lurelin." he sighed as he looked down, "Ralera was upset with me for a while, but later she admitted to me in a letter that it was the best thing for them. Had she stayed and lost her chance to get a home in Hateno back then, she would have ended up regretting it."_

_He placed his hands behind his back as he looked at her again, "Link, I mean it now. As long as Lurelin stands, we villagers will always be here for you. But if your heart finds a new dream on this path you've taken, then we will support you any way we can, even if you decide that's somewhere else. Your life is not bound to Lurelin Village. I truly believe that what truly matters in our world are the people you meet, and not necessarily the place you were born."_ )

Link swallowed as she rubbed her eyes (from streams of sunlight as she looked backwards to the now barely visible Lurelin Village in the distance as the sun dipped below Cape Celes, she said to herself). As Eventide Island drew closer and closer, she couldn't help but think of her father (when she was tiny enough to sit in his lap and he would point out the island in the distance, that he would one day visit that island, and asking her if she wanted to come too and her own affirmation at that). Taking a deep breath, Link placed the slate on her belt before moving to the side of the cryonis boat, peering out at the island as the boat approached the south west of the island. Even the air here felt different somehow, and she could practically feel goosebumps on the skin of her arms, despite having the soldier's armour set firmly on her. Steeling herself, Link climbed over the side of the boat and stepped out onto sandy beach of the island.

As soon as she did so, Link heard a crack from behind her that almost sounded like the breaking of cryonis blocks. She turned around, and realised that's exactly what had happened as her cryonis boat had disappeared without her deactivating the rune. She reached for the slate, tapping it only to realise with a panic that the entire slate had been disabled. It wouldn't react at all to her. Turning on the spot, Link suddenly saw that the island in front of her was now covered by a fog that hadn't been there before. Placing the deactivated slate back on her belt, she was extremely grateful she still had the blade seals the darkness as well as her soldier's armour equipped before she came onto the island. She wasn't _completely_ defenseless. But as she stepped forward onto the island, unseathing the blade and holding it in front of her, a new panic erupted in her. All her ingredients were stored in that slate and she couldn't access it at all. She would be okay for now, Link had just eaten after all, but she would have to look around for supplies.

About an hour later, Link had somehow managed to get through a good chunk of the island despite the fog. She had grimaced upon finding a tree with a few mighty bananas, but had taken them regardless. Bananas.. weren't her favourite food by all means, they were okay on their own (not her favourite but just.. fine) but one time she had tried fried bananas and the sweetness had been so unberarable that it had put her off the fruit for years.

Link had evantually realised the more she searched that there was no-one else on this island, that was probably a given, but at the very least she expected some monsters given the stories the villagers would say of this place, but.. nothing. It was eerie, and a strange feeling of loneliness filled her the longer she stayed on the island. She had heard of many travelers and merchants speaking of the crushing loneliness they felt while traveling Hyrule, (its why so many of them had a horse or donkey as a companion) but so far she hadn't felt that at all. Link had had so much help getting around Hyrule, that to be suddenly choked by loneliness felt extremely overwhelming. She still hadn't heard the voice in the slate that had been guiding her through her journey in days, and it was felt weird to have her own thoughts be.. her own for once.

As Link approached a small mountain in front of her, she placed the blade back in its scabbard and quickly ate a banana for some strength (albeit wincing a little as she did still at its sweetness) before climbing in front of her. In not long at all, she found herself at what appeared to have been a monster camp at one point, but was now just as empty as the rest of the island (even the campfire there was unlit) before moving on, now a little frustrated, to the next climb in front of her, leading to seemingly the highest point on the island. "Come on mystery Sheikah monk," Link muttered to herself, "where _are_ you?" she knew it had to have been a monk. It was the only thing that made sense to her. Purah hadn't been able to use the slate at all, Robbie had been able to activate it but was unable to repair or upgrade it. While Dorian had seemingly similiar powers to the slate's runes, she had no reason to believe he could use it at all while it remained in her own hands. In fact, knowing what she knew now, she had a funny feeling that Dorian had been trying to _steal_ the slate from her as he had followed her around Lanayru and Akkala.

Finally reaching the top point of the island, Link rubbed her eyes as she looked out towards the Necluda Sea in the distance. Strangely, she could see where the fog just.. stopped and the sea started again as she turned around. There in front of her was a deactivated Sheikah shrine and Link stepped towards it, pulling the slate out and tapping it the pedestal in front. But alas, no change. Focusing herself, Link tried to activate her blue eyed state, but that too didn't work. She supposed it was because the slate was completely deactivated. Pulling out the sword attached to her back, she murmured to it, "Well I guess I now know that's those abilities are connected to the slate and not to you, huh?" Walking around the shrine, Link sat down, leaning on the back of shrine as she pulled out another banana without thinking, chewing down on it. She looked glumly at the deactivated slate, and her own green eyes in the screen. "You asked me to come here didn't you? I've wanted to check out this island for years and there's nothing here.." she thought of her father as she looked up at the fog swirled around her, "Sorry papa, it was your dream to come here, but I think this would've disappointed you."

With the sword and slate at both sides, Link looked out to the very south west of Hyrule where the sea seemed to spread for miles with no land at all out. "You even called my by my name instead of 'hero' like the voice usually does." she shut her eyes briefly for a moment, "Just give me a sign.. what did I come here for?" before opening her eyes again, and for a second her blood froze. The blood moon was right in front of her. Link screamed out as she fell back. No that was _impossible_! The blood moon had gotten worse over the last couple of years and more frequent that was true, but no-one had ever heard of the blood moon happening twice in a week. Link's eyes snapped open as she clutched her chest, and she looked up at the sky again. But the blood moon was gone again. It wasn't even night time yet. Jumping up, she grabbed the sword and the slate, clinging onto them desperately as she backed away from the shrine she had been lying against towards the cliff at the end of the island. Maybe Eventide really _was_ cursed, Link couldn't help but think to herself as she looked around.

Then she finally spotted it, and Link knew instantly it was what she had been looking for: a tiny island just behind Eventide with a little pool of water in the center. And in that pool of water was a shrine, that glowed neither orange or blue like the usual shrines, but rather _red_ , and not sickly Calamity red like the possessed guardians, but a pure bright red like the message on the slate back at Spring of Courage, but more importantly just like the Sheikah symbol. Placing the slate back on her belt, and the blade back in its scabbard, Link began to carefully climb down the back of the island before walking out into the shallow cold water leading to the little island. As Link approached the shrine, she suddenly felt excited again like she had back at the Spring of Courage. For the first time, it truly felt like she was going to get some answers here. Tapping the slate to the shrine's pedestal, both activated once more as the 'door' to the shrine opened and a red circle appeared. Link took a breath, before stepping into the little entrance area and the circle lit up, lowering her down into the shrine.

* * *

It was impossibly dark around her as the elevator lowerd further and further into the ground, even more so then that that first shrine at Korok Forest had. There was no trial for the hero here, she could sense it. Until.. finally.. the elevator stopped, and the 'door' opened. Link couldn't see anything, but she stepped forward, the soles of her soldier greaves just barely tapping against shallow water, able to feel the ripples around her feet as she walked forwards into the darkness. "Hello?" she called out into the darkness, "I'm here.. you.. you wanted to speak to me?"

There was another ripple in the water just behind her and Link turned to face the presence that had appeared, although she could feel the ripple near her feet, there was no-one there. Until she looked down. In the water beneath her feet there was an image of a Sheikah monk in the water, the image shimmering along with the ripple.

"Hello Link." a voice spoke out softly to her, and Link realised with a start, that the Sheikah monk was a woman, "It's nice to finally get to meet you."

"I've heard your voice before." Link said quietly, as she recognised it, suddenly wide awake and alert and completely unlike the other times she had been in shrines, where it had felt like she was floating and not aware of her own body, "You were one of the monks who spoke to me in the Korok Forest shrine."

The monk laughed at that and Link was surprised to hear the bitterness in her voice. The afterimage in the water shimmered again, and Link realised that with the image flipped in the water, while the Sheikah monk's eye covering while should have been just a regular eye, it was now inverted (just like the Yiga Clan).

"Hm. _Hm_." the monk muttered as the afterimage stepped forward, now standing directly under her, "He was right, you _are_ good. I would shut your eyes for a moment Link, it's about to get rather bright in here, you'll need time for your eyes to adjust."

Link shut her eyes just as the image disappeared in the water and there was a snapping sound before the lights completely came on in the shrine. Even with her eyes shut, Link could still feel how bright it was around her. Very slowly, she reopened her eyes, adjusting to the red glowing stars on the walls of the shrine. It was a large but a mostly empty shrine. There were stairs both ahead and behind her, with the elevator she had come from behind those first stairs. Around her in the center platform were a few glowing pillars, and in front of the stairs was a blue box like the other shrines (she noted now that she was looking at that blue box that it was very similar to the magic that Dorian had used in Kakariko to protect Kiyah). The Sheikah monk sat in the box, her inverted eye covering over her corpse like face, as she leaned forwards a little resting her chin on the fist of one palm.

"Welcome to the shrine I built with my own two hands as far _far_ away from the goddess' reach as I could build it. My name is Chi."

"Just.. Chi?"

" _Just_ Chi." the monk reaffirmed as she stood up from where she were sitting, reaching out and tapping at the box to make it disappear herself, before stepping out of the protective box all together (and not just projecting an image of her body like the previous monks had done so) and towards Link who still stood in the center of the shrine, "I abandoned my second name and my Sheikah heritage a long.. _long_ time ago."

Reaching the center platform, Chi sighed as she sat back on the floor, crossing her legs. "Please, come join me here Link. We have a lot to discuss, you and I." Link couldn't help but look at the monk in front of her. It was all rather.. undignified, compared to the the other monks she had met so far. But, she supposed that made sense, with this monk being the matriarch of the Yiga Clan and all.

Link sat down in the center area, mirroring Chi's position as she looked into the inverted eye. Then she had a sudden thought, taking the slate from her belt as she put it between the two of them. Chi looked at it then raised her hand, making the slate levitate between them, "Look at this thing." she murmured, "It hasn't been modified at all even after ten thousand years. Thought that fool would have least taken the other handle off." Link looked at her and Chi continued as she placed her the knuckles of her fist back on her chin, "We made this device together, my twin and I."

She sighed and around Link, she could feel memories surging, almost like she was back in a Divine Beast touching the furnace in front of her. Link shut her eyes and in front of her were two young Sheikah. However the images shimmered and were foggy. There were no voices in this memory, just the still shimmering images. Between the two Sheikah was the Sheikah slate as the two Sheikah worked on it. Beside her, Chi appeared and the two Sheikah disappeared as an image of Hyrule Castle appeared.

"Back then.. ten thousand years ago, the Hyrulean Royal Family were already becoming envious of our prowess, the magic that only we Sheikah could use. Hyrule was becoming a more advanced society with each and passing year, and the generation before ours started coming up with the prototypes for crystalised versions of our magic.. what would evantually become runes." she raised her hand as more images began to appear, showing off the various runes the ancient Sheikah had developed, "Magnesis. The ability to move any metal object in the vicninity. Stasis. The ability to freeze an object and store kinetic energy in it. Cryonis. The ability to traverse any water no matter how large. And remote bombs. Pure destructive energy." Link looked at that one a little longer then the other three. Remote bombs? She didn't have that one on the slate.

Next to her Chi continued, "There were others of course, the map, the camera.. and many others too. But the King of Hyrule at that time wasn't interested in those. He said that these four in particular would make the Hyrulean army unstoppable and ordered as many that could be made." Chi sighed, "However there was a problem." another image appeared, this time of the Hylian soldiers with the runes in their crystalized versions. They were small glowing blue orbs much like the the ones that dotted the pillars in the shrines she had been in so far. The Hylian soldiers were clearly struggling to use the runes. Chi nodded, "There wasn't enough power in the runes themselves to compensate for non Sheikah being able to use the magic. The runes needed a conduit to store even more power." Link winced as one of the Hylian soldiers rune he had been holding exploded in his face, "But overloading the runes themselves with too much power was a problem as well."

"So you came up with the Sheikah slates."

Chi looked at her, "Hm.. 'Sheikah slate'.. one of the modern Sheikah from this time came up with that name, did they not? It's not an inaccurate description of what we made, but not the exact word we used for those devices ten thousand years ago." the image of the two Sheikah reappeared again, "While our parent's generation were wracking their minds to come up with a solution for the rune problem, my twin and I designed the prototype for this.. 'Sheikah slate'. It would store the runes in their basic energy form while providing the extra power it needed from special furnaces placed around Hyrule." Link thought of the Divine Beasts and the two furnaces in Necluda and Akkala, but Chi shook her head. "No, those came much later. The Sheikah slates were developed with a sort of.. hm.." Chi pondered for a litle moment, "..tower system I suppose?"

"Towers?" Link asked.

"Fifteen of them in total." Chi nodded, "The plan was to place them all around Hyrule that would transmit power to the slates without the need of a direct connection to the slates themselves. They would be connected to each other beneath the ground and to the main furnace directly inside Hyrule Castle." she scoffed, "Of course the King wanted the main furnace inside Hyrule Castle. All that Sheikah power and energy focused in the shining jewel of Hyrule? He must have been ecstatic."

Chi looked back at Link, "My twin and I were barely that much older then you when we designed and created this.. 'Sheikah slate' but our work impressed the King so much that he tasked my twin with a new secret job that I later discovered was the.. 'Divine Beast' project. I myself was given the task of designing the tower and furnace system." as the Hylian child and Yiga monk walked forwards in the darkness, more images started to appear with the mass produced Sheikah slate, the Hyrulean army using the powerful runes to easily destroy monsters, and others still owned by regular Hylians, a simpler version with just the map, storage, camera and teleportation runes. "Hyrule truly prospered in that time, the army was the most powerful in all the lands. And the Royal Family were making even more rupees then they could have possdibly needed by selling the simpler version to Hylians who loved the conveniences of it. Everything was going great for Hyrule."

"Until The Great Calamity." Link whispered quietly.

All the images disappeared as a despairing sadness swept through Chi and Link gasped as she reopened her eyes back in the shrine. Chi had stood back up, and had moved back to the box she had previously been in as she touched the inverted eye on her face covering.

" _'The Great Calamity'_." Chi scoffed, "Oh, how I utterly loathe the Royal Family for coming up with that moniker. He wasn't a Calamity at all, he was just a--" a sickening sound of electricity filled the room and Link watched in horror as Chi shook before her very eyes, the electricity seeimingly coming from her own throat. Chi gasped as she grabbed her throat, desperately trying to breathe in.

"Chi!" Link rushed over to her, holding the monk's shoulders as she trembled and tried to breathe until finially the shocks stopped. "....... _Damn_ you." Chi muttered raggedly, "It's been ten thousand years and you're long gone, and yet still I'm not allowed to talk about that specific incident?" Link fell backwards from the monk, a strange feeling tearing through her, "..I'm sorry. You must _despise_ us Hylians. It's no wonder you created the Yiga Clan.."

Chi looked at her in shock, "What?! _No_! How it your fault child? You're not to blame for something that happened long before even your ancestors wore born.." Chi froze for a moment, "..well, that's what I would normally say anyway, if you _were_ just a regular Hylian. But either way, the point still stands. No matter what my descendents say now about Hylians, thats _not_ why I created them. The history of the Sheikah was already stained by blood long before the Yiga were created, and will be stained with blood long after they're gone." Chi sighed as she sat down again, "That's the unfortunate reality of the Sheikah tribe, those who were chosen to serve the 'goddess'." the monk scoffed bitterly at that.

Link sat down, looking up at Chi. "If I may ask.. why did you create the Yiga Clan?"

Chi sighed, "I just wanted to mourn--nnnggh." Chi clutched at her throat a little and Link startled again, horrified that her question might have cause the old monk even more pain, but Chi raised her other hand, and took in a deep breath as she calmed down, "I just wanted to _remember_. In any way I could. To be completely honest though, if I had known before hand that the Yiga Clan would have ended up becoming like _that_ , maybe I should not have bothered." she laughed bitterly, "How ironic though. That the very Sheikah he banished and prevented from telling about what really happened back then, that those legends would get twisted and ending up creating his own descendent's worst enemies. And of the great Hero he so idolised too."

Link looked into the slate's screen at her own green eyes as she thought about what she had been told so far. "Hero.." she muttered to herself, as she realised what Chi had said earlier and her head snapped back, "Wait, you said 'regular Hylian' earlier. Am I.. not Hylian?"

Chi laughed, "Oh you are Hylian, don't you worry about that. But you're also more then _just_ a Hylian. Since you have the same blood coursing through your body as the Royal Family's other allies."

"The Zonai." Link realised with a shock, thinking of that older map.

"Hm. That's not what we called them." Chi muttered, "Unfortunately, I do not think a translation for what they were exists in modern Hylian. Their structures and bloodline were believed to have have been lost to time. That twin of mine must have been ecstatic when you activated that shrine back on Palmorae Ruins, he's been trying to reach one of your kind for many years now, having failed with your father."

Link looked up at the monk, her mind just reeling from revelation after revelation, "But my father's not from Lurelin Village. Aren't Lurelin's people supposed to be the descendents of the Zonai..? I.. I mean that's what we thought in the beginning when Lurelin was first created, that's why our designs on our homes were taken from Zonai structures, right?"

Chi nodded, "Yes, I suppose that's a logical thought for your people to have. However, the people of Lurelin are just Hylians. Not a single one of them could have done what you did back on Palmorae Ruins. The shrine would not have reacted the way it did to any regular Hylian. None of them would have been able to pull that sword you now hold, even while damaged as it is. Only one containing the Hero's Spirit could have done any of that, or at the very least, the Hero's bloodline."

Link grabbed at her soldier's armour at the chest, breathing heavily. The Hero's bloodline.. the _Hero_.. her _name_.. Chi looked at her sympathetically. "I suppose it could not be helped. Your grandmother would not have told you the specifics of her own family that she was forced to leave behind in Hyrule Castle Town, thanks to how young she was and the trauma of the evacuation that day."

Link shut her eyes and an image appeared of the Hylian Champion in front of her, a memory of the boy walking up to Hyrule Castle as the other Champions around him seperated and she desperately reached out the image in front of her, as he looked back at her. There was a sad smile on his face as the castle behind him disappeared and he reached out ruffling her hair. Link opened her eyes again as tears fell down to the shrine's floor from her green eyes. "He was my uncle."

" _Great_ uncle, but yes." Chi sighed once more, "The Hero's Spirit was never supposed to become a bloodline, but alas here we are. It was said that that the very first Hero in time immemorial had no such relation to those who carried on his Spirit. And yet, somehow in the times that came after.. hm.. probably around the time of the Imprisoning War spoken about in such ancient legends, far beyond even our own ancient time, thanks to an unforeseeable incident, that bloodline started to take its roots. From generation to generation, the bloodline of the Hero containing that Spirit became stronger still, passing on the legends and yes, even the name of the Hero to those who came after, to the point where none alive knew which was directing the path of the Heroes who came after: the Hero's Spirit or the the Hero's bloodline. There was no difference between them at that point."

Chi looked down at the girl before her, "Even now, as I look at you I have no idea if your body contains that Hero's Spirit at all." Chi stood up as she spread her arms out, "The legends foretold of old; those of the Spirit of the Hero, the Bloodline of the Goddess, and the Reincarnation of Hatred. Your ancestors, the ones you now know as the 'Zonai', they began to take note of the patterns left for them in history and started to record those fated encounters, to herald for the time when such knowledge could be used in the future. The Sheikah in turn turned to the stars above to prophesise the future. With the Zonai chronicling the past, and our Sheikah ancestors prophesising the future, they believed that they would be more then ready for the next Reincarnation of Hatred, whenever it showed itself again."

Link looked up at Chi, even as tears still ran down her face.

"However.." Chi said quietly, "Of those among the Zonai, those who were not destined to become the Heroes of their times, they began to take a more.. hm.. let's just say _neutral_ look at history. They noted all the patterns of history after all, not just of the Reincarnation of Hatred itself, but what had come before and after. Those who would be blamed for circumstances not of their control, and how that would lead into more Hatred that spread and spiraled itself throughout history. Their architecture in turn, began to reflect the true nature of this world of Hyrule, and how Hatred would beget more Hatred and.. evantually turn to Malice. To say the Royal Family were not pleased with this would be an understatement. The bloodline of the Heroes were supposed to be their greatest allies in Hyrule, and to the Royal Family it appeared as if some of them were _gravitating_ to the other side."

Link rubbed her eyes, trying to stop her tears, "So my ancestors were banished just like you Sheikah were?"

Chi laughed a little at that, maybe a little too bitterly, "Hardly. The Royal Family would dare not banish the great Heroes they relied on in such desperate times. They were ordered to cease their chronicles of history at once. The great structures of the Zonai they had created would be lost and forgotten to time, and the culture of the Zonai was assimilated into general Hylian history, as their bloodline were kept as close to the Royal Family as possible. In time, both your ancestors and the Royal Family's too began to forget even their _own_ history. But some of your ancestors back then rebelled, just like my Yiga bretherern did, and they hid the truth of Hyrule's history wherever they could."

"The scroll." Link said quietly, thinking of the Spring of Courage, " _You_ sent me there on purpose to find it?" Chi nodded even as she clutched onto her throat, seemingly not wanting to say anything else dare she set off the spell that had been cast on her ten thousand years ago. "Is that why I ended up in Lake Hylia?"

"I.." Chi hesitated a little, "I tried to bring you closer, but unfortunately my twin's power over the Sheikah slate is too strong. As the creator of the Divine Beasts, his power far goes beyond any of us. It was a miracle I managed to get you as close as I could, and it's unlikely he's figured out the truth of what happened thanks to your connection to Lurelin Village." her fingers tightened over her throat as she swallowed a little nervously, "Even after everything that happened to us back.. nnnggghhh.." she breathed heavily for a moment, "He's still fully dediated to the goddess and the Royal Family that banished us. Damn fool. He suffered the most out of _any_ of us. He wants more then anything for you to purify the Divine Beasts, to save their Champions, and ultimately to destroy the Great Calamity once and for all." Chi looked at her and there was a great sadness eminating through the Yiga monk and the slate at her side. Link willed herself not to cry again at it, "I just want the _truth_ revealed. And until that's done, I _refuse_ to pass on. I will not allow them that satisfaction."

At her words, the lights in the shrine began to flicker slightly and Link looked around at it, "Your shrine.."

"It's fine Link, I've used up the last of the shrine's power to bring you here and talk to you like this, but do not worry about it. The shrine does not give me power. Only I do that." Chi approached her again, one hand still wrapped around her throat, as she reached out and tapped the screen of the slate, activating it, "I will teleport you to the closest possible location I can. And I will support you as much as I can through the rest of the Divine Beasts, by preventing my twin from reading your thoughts, though you will still be able to talk to him if you so do wish." Chi placed her hands together as a strange blue purplish orb with the inverted Sheikah symbol on it was formed before Chi pushed it towards Link's chest and it seemed to enter her. Link gasped as the warm feeling entered her body and she placed her hand on her chest when the orb had entered before blue familiar teleportation energy surrounded her once more.

"I'm sorry Link." Chi was saying as Link reached her hand out to the Yiga monk, "I truly wish I could have spoken with and told you more, but there's no time. It should take you.. hm, about two or three months to get to Vah Medoh?"

"Chi--!"

"After that, make direct haste for Vah Naboris. Do not travel on the regular paths if you must. I have a feeling that as much as my twin wants this to remain a secret, it won't be for much longer. I'm afraid my descendents will start coming after you." Link clutched her hand to her chest even as the blue energy continued to fill her. "What I've given you there, among other things, is a special magic that will help you see through their disguises." As even Link's eyes started to fill with the colour blue, feeling the magic completely surround her, the Yiga monk started to disappear as the red walls flickered behind her. She could feel the monk almost smiling at her even as her face covering remained unchanged, "And.. if you would allow me to be indulgent.. thank you Link, last descendent of the Zonai. It is unlikely we will meet again, but.. you have given this old soul hope for the first time in ten thousand years. I truly hope that one day soon, all three of us will be given true everlasting peace."

Link clutched the Sheikah slate as she completely disappeared, but Chi's voice continued to reach her as she teleported away from Eventide, "Can't believe that sentimental fool left my handle on in the end. Didn't you say they were supposed to represent the two of us, Ma--"

* * *

Link gasped as she reappeared, the blue light disappearing from her form as she clutched the slate in her hands. Thankfully, she could feel the path below her feet this time as she looked around. She didn't recognise this place at all, the towering jagged rocks all around her. It was sunny and bright outside, it seems it was some time in the next day already from the sun blazing brightly above her. Link looked around, making sure there was no-one around her, before looking at the Sheikah slate, bringing up the map as she scrolled outwards on it. Ah, there she was, somewhere in Hyrule Ridge. " _'Breach of Demise'_.." Link muttered as she looked over the text where her yellow dot was.

( _"Ah, there you are Hero."_ ) Link yelped as she staggered back at the voice in her mind appeared once more, the slate tumbling in her hands a little before she caught onto it again. ( _"Goddess, you're jumpy today aren't you? Well it matters not, you're on the path to Hebra now and--"_ ) the voice stopped all of a sudden, and Link tensed a little, ( _"..What happened to you?" | "Wh-what do you mean, sir?" | "Hm. It matters not. I figured you would get stronger with the device evantually, but I wasn't expecting it to happen so.. suddenly. No, actually, it's better this way. It should be much easier for you to connect to Vah Medoh then you did with Vah Rudania and Vah Ruta. Once you reach Rito Village, attempt to connect with the Rito Champion immediately before you even step foot onto the Divine Beast, understood Hero?"_ )

The voice disappeared and Link was left alone with her thoughts again as she looked down to the map, sighing a little. Her eyes moved a little east to where she was on the map and she jolted, seeing Hyrule Castle to close to her. Link looked up to where it would be in the distance. She was too far below, and the tall jagged rocks above blocked the view of the Castle, but she could see it perfectly in her mind's eye. Link already had the plan to save the Champions, and find out what had happened one hundred years ago, but as she thought of Chi's sadness and her own family's history, Link found herself more determined then ever to get to the bottom of this ten thousand year old legend as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be my last chapter before Age of Calamity comes out, and I will be taking a break for a little while to play the game. Not sure when the next chapter will be out, maybe hopefully a few weeks, possibly a month or even longer.


	16. Rito Village

Link screamed out as she and and the blonde Hylian raced down the large hill with strange icicles at the top and towards Tabantha Village as the heavy snowfall came down around the two Hylians. Selmie looked over at her, grinning, "What's the matter Link? You act like you've never shield surfed before!"

"I've shield surfed!" Link yelled out as she bent her knees a little, trying to steer the cool looking shield emblazoned with the Rito insignia with little tassels coming off it that she had found the other week, "Just never on snow! I've only ever shield surfed on sand before now!" Well, unless surfing on a _Zora_ counted. Selmie just grinned again in respone as she leaned forward on her golden Royal Shield, turning sharply and quickly outspeeding Link as she followed the path to Tabantha. "Well, it's really not _that_ different, so you better hurry up or I'm gonna win this little race of ours."

Wiping away the falling snow that had landed on her face, Link was incredibly thankful for the thick clothing of her father's snowquill armour as she bent her back leg further, pressing down on the Kite Shield and turning it, as she sped up herself, following Selmie forwards onto the final path leading into Tabantha Village's square where the finish line was and the legendary shield surfer's fans were waiting. Focusing on the finish line ahead of them, Link pushed ahead, turning sharply a little in the snow once more which sprayed the heavy snowfall around them and onto the other racer. Glancing at Selmie, she wondered if that was a too dirty trick, but the Hylian just laughed a little, ( _"All's fair in shield surfing!" the Hylian had said earlier as the two had climbed the small hill leading towards the shield surfing path the villagers had set up for their villagers and travelers earlier_ ) and with the two now neck and neck, they both charged forwards into Tabantha's square.

Link was so focused on the finishing line just ahead of her, that she didn't notice the small bump in front of her on the path (Selmie had sharply dodged to avoid it) and careened over the bump, her small body launching forwards off the shield and straight into a large pile of shoveled snow near the well in the center of the village, slamming right into the pile of snow. Still, she had crossed the finish line and the Hylian shield surfer carefully manuevered towards it, stopping her golden shield and stepping off it as the spectators surrounded her, but Selmie ignored her fans, reaching down to the pile of snow and lowering her hand to the Hylian girl, "Alright Link?"

"Yeah.." Link muttered as she wiped the snow from her snowquill outfit, taking Selmie's hand as she was pulled upright. As she stood up next to the other blonde Hylian, Link noted how there wasn't much a height difference between her and the shield surfer. She wasn't sure if that was just because Selmie was much shorter then the other Hylians she had met in her journey, or if she was getting taller herself now.

As Link continued to wipe the snow away, the duchess' fans surrounded her again, congratulating her on the win, but the shield surfer just frowned. "No..? Link reached the finishing line before I did, even if she was _reckless_ about it."

"But, her shield is all the way back there--"

"You have to actually be _riding_ on the shield--"

Selmie walked past her fans, picking up the Rito made shield and returning to Link, "It's not like we were racing up there in the Hebra Mountains where it's a lot more dangerous, or even for a prize like rupees." she handed the shield back to Link, and the Hylian girl notes how her personality had shifted to a more serious outlook on the sport now that the race was over. "I don't mind conceding on the loss this one time, considering we were safe here in a controlled enviroment like Tabantha."

"But Selmie--!"

" _Enough_." the shield surfer snapped, glaring at her fans a little, "You're lucky I'm here and that you got to see me surf in the first place, I only came down from my lodge to Tabantha for supplies. Your idolization of me is going to get you all killed." Taking Link's hand, she stormed off to the Tabantha inn, bringing the girl with her. Once they were safely in the inn, with Selmie's fans far away, the Hylian woman sighed, glancing over at Link. "Sorry about them Link, they can be a little.. _much_."

"No, not at all it's fine." Link said as she placed her shield back on her back, sitting at one of the tables. Selmie went to the inn keeper and after a few moments, returned with two brown mugs of warm milk, handing one over to Link. Sighing, the shield surfer sat down on the opposite chair of the table, taking a sip of her own mug and looking contemplative, "To be honest, I was worried when you agreed to that race earlier, especially when it looked like you had no idea what you were doing when we were on the slopes. Thought you were just gonna be another one of those reckless fans."

She glanced at the child, and Link was taken aback at how alike and similar their green eyes would have been. Well, if she _had_ green eyes right now, instead Link was looking back at the other Hylian with her blue eyes, taking in the appearance of the Hylian with blonde hair, a purple scarf and thick clothing perfect for the Hebra region (no Yiga Clan members here in Tabantha Village thankfully).

"But I can tell you're not like that Link. Just by looking at you now, I can tell how seriously you're taking this journey through Hyrule. I can tell you're not going to risk your life just for the thrill of some sport like shield surfing." grimacing, Selmie glanced back at the door of the inn, "Wish the rest of them would see it that way. Don't they know just how precious it is that Tabantha Village still stands after all these years?"

Link's glove clothed hands tightened around the brown mug as she looked into the steaming liquid inside. It had been almost three months to the day that she had been teleported to the Breach of Demise from Eventide Island. Chi had been hoping that it would take about two months to get to Rito Village, but she likely hadn't taken into account just how thick the snow that blanketed around the Hebra regions and just how _cold_ it was to someone from Lurelin like Link was. Plus all extra time she had to take out of her quest, just to get here, Link would have run out rupees a long time ago if she hadn't taken on some side quests for Hylians in need on the path. She had hunted monsters, raided camps, sold what she could get rid of, and traded with others on the path. And there had been _two_ blood moons since that day. She would aways try to get shelter in a settlement, or at very least camp with another Hylian and keep on the lookout, once she had learned that one was coming. She had even learned when was best to travel, and yes, even at night where the path was most dangerous. Link was not the reckless girl who had traveled from Akkala to Eldin in a day to reach Vah Rudania. But still, as she thought of Rito Village and Vah Medoh just half a day away at most (the snow was becoming less thick as she moved further south from Hebra towards Rito Village, and it would be much easier to get there from Tabantha then it had been to get to Tabantha from Hyrule Ridge), her heart _hurt_.

Link wanted, even now, to save the Rito Champion Revali, to just _get_ to Rito Village and climb aboard Medoh and reunite Revali with the rest of the Champions. Her fingers tightened even more around the mug. This entire time, she hadn't really stopped thinking of it. Of saving both Revali and Urbosa, and maybe even.. what could possibly come after that. Lately she had found her thoughts moving past them, to the Princess Zelda and even her own ancestor Link. She had had a lot of time on the path to just _think_ about him. What had he been like, the Hylian who came before her, who weilded the same sword as she did.. her grandmother's elder brother. She knew a little, like that Mipha had been in love with him, and was planning to propose. That Daruk saw him as a brother.. or a son perhaps? There was no difference between 'brother' and 'son' when it came to Goron culture after all, even Goron children would call their progenitor their 'brother' after all, much to Hylian's confusion. She wondered what the the other Champions thought of him. She wondered what his relationship had been liked with his own family (her grandmother.. she had never even _mentioned_ that she had an elder brother). She wondered about what he had been like, being a soldier for Hyrule Castle when he was that young, following in his own father's footsteps. What had been his favourite food?

Link shook her head, trying to dispel the feelings inside her and looking back at Selmie who was looking at her oddly. Link panicked a little and raised the mug, taking a huge gulp. The hot liquid in the center burned her tongue a little, but that was fine, it had been so _cold_ outside anyway, so the warm milk felt nice in her throat. Selmie just cocked her head a little, "Say, Link.. I've been wondering, do you have any Sheikah blood in your ancestry?" Link wheezed, spluttering out a bit of milk (the slate didn't beep from where it was hidden under her tunic, but she could feel the sudden alarm of the voice through it) and she looked up, trying to keep her face neutral, "Not that I'm aware of, why do you ask?"

Link's blue eyes kept focused on Selmie. She wasn't a Yiga, she _wasn't_. Link had actually seen at least one footsoldier on the path up to Tabantha, more back in Hyrule Ridge then actually in Hebra, which she had actually been kinda grateful of since it gave her the time to test her new ability. She had been using it as much as she could against every new person she met on the path, and had been wondering when exactly she would realise if one was a Yiga, until finally, she had seen one. A single footsoldier, sharply walking past her, seemingly uncaring about the Hylian child they had just walked past as they looked for a target who they thought they could ambush. Link had likely been ignored because she probably didn't look like she had anything good on her (jokes on them, she had thought, as she had tons of rupees and gems), and had looked back at the Yiga footsoldier. It had been strange, this new ability she had been given. She could see the disguise perfectly in one eye, and then in the other eye the true form of the footsoldier, their taller form (taller then a regular Hylian, but nowhere near as tall as a blademaster), shifted onto the disguised form. The Yiga's disguise magic affected everything, not just their physical appearance, but their mass as well. That made sense, as she had slept against Dorian's disguised form as Douma that night in the domain, and he certainly hadn't _felt_ like a super tall muscular Sheikah. She kept her blue eyes focused on Selmie. There was no true form imposed on a disguised form, she could only see Selmie as she had first appeared to her when they met up back before when they had both taken a rest stop at Pondo's Lodge.

"It's just.. well.. you got a bit of.." Selmie reached up and rolled a lock of her own blonde hair between her fingers and Link looked down into a bucket of water that was near her that had been pulled out from the village well, startled at what she saw in the reflection. Near the front of her head, a lock of her own blonde hair had seemingly turned pale white without her even realising. Link put the mug down on the table reaching out and touching the white lock. The difference between Sheikah white hair and the white hair Hylians would gain as they grew elder was a subtle one, but with her blue eyes she could easily see that it was indeed Sheikah white. Selmie looked at her sympathetically, "I noticed it back when we first met, but it only just occured to me to bring it up."

"Maybe I _do_ have some Shiekah blood in me.." Link wondered outloud, thinking about her Zonai ancestry. Its certainly possible that Zonai and Sheikah would have crossed paths with how closely they worked together. But even as she said it, Link knew that wasn't the case, as she touched the white lock of hair before loweing her hand to her blue eyes, looking at them in the water. No, this white lock hadn't been there before. Just like how the whole blue eyes thing hadn't started until she had gained the slate and sword. She had realised that their blue was connected to the Sheikah slate's rune magic blue, the same blue that glowed on the pedestals and shrines, but she had wondered.. if it were not for the slate itself, would her eyes have been Sheikah red instead? (No, it was unlikely she would have been able to use rune magic at all without the slate just like Chi had said back at Eventide). Now as she looked at her lock of white hair, she had no idea what was going on.

And later that night, as Link looked into the dim lanterns on the ceiling of the inn from her bed, she found herself struggling with her thoughts once more, before.. inevitably.. they turned to the Hylian Champion and the Princess once more. It didn't matter what happened to her hair, or her eyes, or any part of her really. Link had come too far to stop now, and was not going to stop trying to save the Champions. And maybe.. hopefully.. find out what happened to those two as well. Even now, she could see their forms in the memories she had seen, closing her now back to green eyes and remembering the Hylian Champion and Princess. She would find out what had happened to them in Hyrule Castle, and.. if they had survived, however unlikely that might have been.. she would find them, and save them too.

* * *

As Link approached the Rito Stable around noonish, having seperated from Selmie first thing in the morning (before dawn had even broken) who had subsequently left for her own cabin up north in Hebra, the Hylian girl looked up amazed at the towering natural stone structure the Rito had built their village on. Kass had described their village many times to the young girl, but seeing it for herself truly was something else. As Link's hands tightened on her backpack (not something she had really needed with the slate, but just a little something she had picked up along the way to show that was seemingly just a traveler. It also helped to keep a couple of things like a few simple ingredients in it and weapons attached, so she didn't need to rely on the Sheikah slate all the time and risk someone seeing it). With her Kite Shield, Feathered Edge blade and Swallow Bow equipped on the pack, Link took in a breath before stepping out onto the first bridge towards the village.

A soft faraway tune reached her ears and she looked up towards the village, smiling. It had been so long since Lurelin, but of course Kass was already here waiting for her. She felt so relieved at that, knowing that a familiar face was waiting for her, breaking out into a small jog as she hurried along down the bridges and towards the village. However as she reached the final steps leading into the main village, the two Rito guards suddenly clashed their spears together, blocking the entrance.

"Hylian, is there something you need in the village?" one of the guards asked, and the other looked a little apologetic, "Sorry, we just need to make sure you're okay before we let you in."

Link nodded at that, "I understand. My name's Link, I'm from Lurelin Village, and I'm here to speak with your elder.. Kaneli, I think his name is?"

The two Rito guards jumped at that and parted their spears immediately, "Link?! You're Kass' friend, of course we've heard about you, please go in at once. We've been expecting you for some time now."

As Link walked up the stairs, she noted the godess statue with a ring of flowers on the head, and felt a weird sense of bitterness go through her (that was likely Chi's influence) before heading up the cicular wooden stairs leading to the small houses and stores in the village, first past the inn, then the general and armour stores, leading to the houses further up. As she approached one of the small houses though, suddenly there were five small Rito children around her and she stepped back a little as they crowded her. The one in the middle, a Rito with purple feathers stepped forwards, "Link! You're Link aren't you?"

"Ah.." Link muttered, recognising her, "Kheel..? And that must mean the rest of you are Notts, Genli, Kotts, and Cree..?" All five children beamed as she said their names and then Link found herself being pushed into the small house. "Mama! Look who finally arrived!" As the purple feathered girl headed back up the village (likely to retrieve Kass himself) Link found herself in front a Rito adult with green feathers who smiled at her, "There you are Link. I've heard so much about you and have been wanting to meet you for so long. It's too bad it had to happen under these circumstances but.." Link just smiled in reseponse, "Hello, its nice to meet you too miss Amali."

The other girls were still crowding around her and Link yelped a little as she was pushed around the small home, the excitement reaching unbearable levels, and Amali rushed around to try and calm everyone down (to no avail). But as Kass arrived in the small home with Kheel behind her father, he called out to the children, "Settle down now girls." and the five immediately moved into line. Amali sighed, "I don't know how you do it Kass." and the Rito bard laughed a little as Link sighed, taking her pack off her back and placing it beside her on the floor.

Kass turned to his daughters, "Girls, Link and have some things to discuss first, but why don't the five of you head up to Master Revali's landing and practice your singing?" The five children started to speak out in tandem and Link winced, covering her ears a little, "But weren't we going too--"

"Yes, _yes_ I know." Kass said softly, calming down the over excited children, "But it's important that Link and I talk first, alright?" Genli, the green feathered Rito pouted a little, seemingly not wanting to go but evantually all five children left the house, leaving Kass, Amali and Link alone in the house.

"Sorry for my girls Link." Amali spoke out quietly, "I know they can be a bit much."

"It's alright." Link shrugged a little, "I'm just not used to so many children around. In my home village, there's only me and two others after all." lifting her pack up, she looked over at Kass, "So when do I get to talk to your elder Kass?"

Kass and Amali glanced at each other, "Link.." Amali spoke softly, "you only just got here, after traveling nonstop for three months. Don't you want to rest for today? Especially considering what day it is today.."

Link stared confused, it wasn't anything special today to her knowledge, and it was only noon it wasn't like it was evening yet. "Did Kass explain to you how important my quest is?"

"Yes but.."

Link looked out the window, looking up to the blue sky above them. Thankfully Medoh wasn't around Rito Village right now, and yet she could sense the Divine Beast somewhere near them. "Then you understand that it's important that I speak to your elder and devise a plan for getting aboard the Divine Beast. I've been thinking about it on the way here, and since you Rito have the power of flight I think it would be best to find a capable warrior to fly up to Medoh."

Kass nodded a little, "We're way ahead of you there Link. But there won't just be one, we've actually got _two_ warriors who are quite capable of leading you to the Divine Beast, their names are Harth and Teba." Link looked at the bard, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's head to your elder Kaneli and devise a proper strategy."

Kass sighed and Amali looked away, Link blinked a little and looked at them, "Unfortunately that's more of a problem then we were expecting.. Teba and Harth are unfortunately very stubborn and wanted to take out Medoh as soon as possible without waiting for you."

Link felt her blood run cold, "Are they okay?!"

"They're fine." Amali said softly, "They're waiting at a place called the Flight Range, which isn't that far from here. They left to stock up on supplies, after finally being convinced by Kass how much of a capable warrior you are in your own right." Maybe that actually was true now, Link surprisingly thought to herself, with how many monsters and camps she had taken out on the way here. It felt like she had finally mastered all the skills that Ta'loh Naeg had shown what felt like so long ago back in Kakariko Village.

"Then what's the problem?" Link asked.

"They won't be back until tomorrow now." Kass said as he looked back out towards the Flight Range in the distance, "They've been checking in every couple of days now to see if you're here, and their next check in should be then."

"Which works out great for us." Amali sounded strangely excited, "The girls have been hoping for so long that you would arrive before today, they've been so looking forward to it."

Link stared, "Looking forward to what..?"

Kass had a sympathetic look on his face as he looked at the confusion on hers, "Link. Has it been so long that you've forgotten? It's your _birthday_ today."

"Happy Birthday Link!" Amali said as she hugged the girl around her shoulders with her wings, "You are officially thirteen years old today!"

* * *

And that was how Link found herself in the center of an impromptu (at least for _her_ , the Rito family had been planning for this for a few days it seemed) birthday party. Looking at the amount of food before her, Link couldn't help but feel stunned at it all. After struggling for months just to get here, it seemed a bit extreme. This amount of food could last for weeks on the road, and they were using it just for today? Distantly, a part of Link reminded her that this was just how it _was_ when it came to birthdays.

She remembered her twelth birthday and how the whole village had come to her grandmother's home to celebrate. They had had plenty of seafood paella and copious amounts of fresh fruit that they had picked just for the occasion. She remembered the gross but eager looks on Kinov and Zuta's faces as the three of them had torn into a hearty durian and eaten it raw, despite the smell. She remembered how happy she had been, despite still being mute then, even if it was just with how happy it made everyone else in the village. She couldn't find even a sliver of that happiness now, and she must have looked pitiful as she looked up at Kass with confusion on her young face as the Rito bard came to sit beside her as the children and their mother set up.

"You really had no idea it was your birthday today, didn't you?" he asked quietly, as he looked at his one of his daughters who was eyeing the seafood dishes on the table greedily as the other sisters placed the dishes on there ("Stop it Genli." Amali called out to her, "There's enough salmon muenière for everyone.") Link looked at Kass, "Sorry Kass, I've just been so focused on getting here that I guess I just.. lost track of time."

"I understand." the Rito bard said softly, "When I'm away from Rito Village I miss so much going on here, with my girls." Kass shut his eyes as a small smile came to his beak, "Still, when I think about the all the happy smiles in the villages I visit, and all the new people I meet on the road, I think it must all be worth it in the end." Kass glanced over at Link who was looking at him, "Link, I know the life of a traveler can be daunting, but if you ever need to talk about anything, I'm here alright?" Link's green eyes locked onto Kass' yellow ones, and she thought about everything that had happened so far.. everything about what had happened with Dorian and what she had learned about on Eventide.. Link opened her mouth almost hesitantly, but then Amali called out, "We're ready!"

Almost immediately, Link found her hands full with a plate of food she had never seen before, given to her by the green feathered daughter, Genli. "Here Link, salmon muenière. It's a staple of Rito Village and my personal favourite meal, try it!"

Link looked at the meal. She had heard of hearty salmon before, but had never tried as it was a fish that was native to more colder waters. There seemed to be a thin crust on the fish while a sauce that looked like it had been made from butter covered it. Link took a fork and carefully cut off a piece of the salmon, scooping up some of the sauce on it and taking a bite, before completely losing track of her thoughts at how divine the taste was. The skin was crispy and the fish was flaky and much more thicker then the porgies they caught at home. The butter sauce complimented the salmon so well too. Link _adored_ seafood paella, but this.. salmon meunière? Was on a completely different level entirely. She must have had a goofy smile on her face, because Genli just grinned at her, "Nice, huh?"

The Rito child then rushed off, grabbing her own plate of salmon meunière and sitting down next to her sisters. After the salmon meunière was polished off, Amali brought out some sort of brown cake, slicing it into large pieces. "Kass tells me you're not into too much sweet desserts Link, so I thought a nutcake would be good for you. Its sweet, but not _too_ sweet." the Rito woman placed the slices on the plates, handing them out to everyone, "It's a shame no-one was ever able to find the legendary fruitcake recipe after all these years though, it would have been perfect for this."

Link studied the slice of cake. She could see bits of cooked acorn embedded in the sponge and used her fork to cut off a small piece, biting into it. It was true that Link wasn't too keen on desserts, and while it wasn't as good as the salmon had been, it was still nice. Chewy and mildly sweet, it was pleasant enough and Link surprisingly found she enjoyed it quite well, polishing off the slice of cake as well.

A few hours later after the festivities, as the sun started to descend in the distance and Amali put her daughters to bed, Link found herself on the landing named after the Champion Revali himself, her snowquill boots pressed against the wood as Kass came up behind her. "Sorry Link." the bard apologised a little, "I hope that wasn't too much, the girls just wanted to do something nice for you, they've heard so much about you over the years, and the fact that your arrival coincided with your birthday was the perfect oppurtunity."

"It's fine." Link said as she looked down into the Rito symbol on the landing, looking back at the bard who still looked worried, "Honestly Kass, I enjoyed the whole thing far more then I thought I would have." Link laughed a little, "The good food helped." Kass just chuckled at that and there was a quiet silence for a few moments, before the mood turned a little.

Link wanted to ask about the tapestry they had found in the Spring of Courage so badly, but as the slate hummed on her belt and she knew the voice could hear every word, she found she couldn't bring herself to say it out loud. If Kass had learned anything in particular about it, surely he would have said something about it already? Her thoughts had moved to the tapestry more often these days, when she wasn't thinking of the Champions and her ancestor. And of Chi's request to discover the truth about what had happened ten thousand years ago, but it was a dangerous game she had played this last three months with the voice in the slate (who was almost certainly Chi's mystery twin who had been depicted on the tapestry). It certainly helped that the voice could no longer read her thoughts, and she had managed to figure out some things herself about that tapestry, just from the blatant events shown on it. That instead of the four Divine Beasts and their Champions using their power to stop the Calamity, it had instead been four Sheikah. And their masks looking like the four Divine Beasts indicated that the Sheikah had been the original pilots, and not a chosen Champion from each of the four races. There was no Princess with the Blood of the Goddess nor a Zonai with the Spirit of the Hero depicted on the tapestry, so was it possible that neither of them had been involved with the original sealing ten thousand years ago?

Link shook her head a little, the Sheikah would figure out the tapestry evantually, for now she had to focus on her own direct mission: Revali and Urbosa, and she looked up into the darkening sky. "Link." Kass spoke quietly and the girl looked over at him. The Rito's yellow eyes were soft, as the bard tapped his instrument, "I've told you all about my teacher haven't I?"

"Sheik." Link muttered.

Kass nodded, "He was named after a supposed ancient Sheikah hero. He had always felt pressured, living up to that name. And yet he found his calling, in the history books of his Hylian nobleman father, and of the music he surrounded himself with. And there was a person he loved deeply with all of his heart."

"Princess Zelda."

Kass sighed, and Link could see he wanted to ask how she knew that, but restrained himself. "After Jaq's death.. that was the name of Robbie's father.. Robbie and his mother were moved to Hyrule Castle Town to protect them from the Yiga Clan. That was how Robbie was introduced to Impa's family, and consequently, how Robbie's mother ended up meeting Sheik's Hylian father in the Royal Court. Impa's family.. have been royal advisories to the Hylian Royal Family for countless generations, and it would be the same for the both the not yet born Impa and Princess Zelda. All three of them; Impa, Princess Zelda and Sheik were born around the same time and all three of them became fast friends. Sheik and the Princess were particuarly close, they bonded over their love of history, and I'm told the Princess especially loved Sheik's music." Kass played a little tune on his concertina as a memory came to his mind.

( _Kass approached Kakariko as quickly as he could,and the little hill just above the fairy fountain behind the village. There, his teacher was sitting on the little wooden stump as he watched the castle from afar, the swirling mass of malice surrounding it, with countless blue nightshade and a few silent princess flowers surrounding him._

_"Teacher.. Sheik, sir." Kass panted as he landed on the small hill, approaching the elderly Sheikah from behind._

_"Kass." the Sheikah murmured softly as he continued to play his instrument and look forwards at the castle, "Do you think I'm a bad person?"_

_"What?! Good Goddess, **no** , of course not."_

_"And yet we abandoned those suffering in the castle."_

_"There was nothing you could do teacher. You would have died as well."_

_Sheik sighed,"We didn't even **try** Kass. It doesn't matter what we learned later. My elder brother and Purah were masters at knowing all about Guardian tech, Impa was a formidable fighter. I was the only useless one out of the four of us. And yet we all fled the lab just as same."_

_"Teacher--"_

_Sheik turned to him a strained smile on his face, "Would you like to hear a song Kass? I only have the first verse but.." he turned to face Kass, closing his eyes as he began to play, "An ancient hero~ a Calamity appears~ now resurrected after ten thousand years~" Sheik began to choke out, "Her appointed k-knight gives his life.." Sheik dropped the instrument to the ground and covered his face with his hands. Kass reached down, placing a wing on his teacher's shoulder, "I don't even know what happened to them Kass. None of them, the Princess, the Knight I so despised a lifetime ago for reasons I don't even remember, the Champions.." lowering his hands, tears flew from the elderly Sheikah's eyes down his cheeks. "To think, that the great kingdom of Hyrule would be destroyed not by the Calamity itself, but the stillness that came after. The despair of realising that all hope truly was lost that day. Despite that, I've put the rest of my life into learning all I can about the ancient songs, to pass them down if a new hero was ever to be born but.."_

_The fingers of one of Kass' wings tightened over his pouch where the letter from Lurelin lay inside, informing him of his dear friend's death. He had to get to Hateno as soon as possible, but the Rito didn't want to leave his teacher either. "Teacher, you've taught me everything you learned. And if need be, I can pass on that knowledge to another. I believe a new hero will be born evantually." Sheik looked at the Rito's face, but Kass could tell his faith was waning._

_That was the last conversation he had had with his teacher. At the funeral later in Kakariko (two funerals just months apart) Kass truly felt despair. He wished he could have just one more conversation with his teacher, to tell him that maybe, just maybe, all hope truly wasn't lost in this world. But even as he thought those possibilites, he thought of his other deceased friend and his traumatised daughter and wondered, how possibly could a hero be born of such tragedies?_ )

Kass reopened his yellow eyes, gazing into the stars above them as he glanced as his friend's daughter was was listening to his instrument. How could he possibly tell her the truth? That ever since Aryll had told him of her past on that month long trip down to Lurelin, that he'd realised she was the descendent of the Hylian Champion. Too late to tell his teacher, too late to tell even his dear friend, as they had both passed on by the time he had learned the truth. The only surviving family member being a traumatised six year old girl. He couldn't see the Sheikah slate hidden beneath her snowquill armour, but Kass couldn't help but think of it bitterly. He'd gotten so used to lying over the years that it was almost like second nature to him, but he didn't _want_ too.

It was bad enough that they had to hide what was going on with the Divine Beasts, but having to hide things like this from each other too? Robbie had explained what was going on with the slate last time Kass had visited him, that there was a voice inside it, likely using a special form of Sheikah rune magic that had connected its spirit to Link's, that was guiding her throughout her journey. That was probably how she had learned such specifics about his teacher, Kass had guessed, although he still hadn't figured out exactly _how_.

Kass could see the struggle in Link everytime she looked off into the distance, caught in her own thoughts, almost like when she had been mute back then. The Rito bard wondered if the voice was talking to her then. He wondered what secrets she had to keep of her own, how painful it must have been these past almost four months since she had started her journey. In just over one month, it would be one hundred years exactly since the great Calamity.

Kass stopped playing his instrument and Link glanced over at him, "Link, my teacher, and the rest of the Sheikah as well, struggled deeply with the knowledge of what had happened at the castle and how little they could have done to help. It affected them for the rest of their lives, it still does, for those who still live today." the Rito looked at her, "Don't forget what I told you back at my home. If you ever need to talk about anything, I'm here okay?" Link nodded, but Kass thought about his teacher's final question to him ( _"Do you think I'm a bad person?"_ ) and wondered if his teacher was alive, would Kass have asked that of _him_ now?


	17. Divine Beast Vah Medoh

Link curled into the bed at Rito Village's inn. She had paid extra for the Rito down bed, and the feathers in it were so soft and comfortable.. although probably not as good as the bed in Korok Forest had been. Out of all the beds she had tried so far in all the settlments and inns she had visited, that bed was still the best one by _far_. It was early morning still and it was still somewhat dark outside, but Link found herself awake early yet again (it was becoming a habit with her, getting up early to get the most travel time she could on the paths), but it was still too early to head up to Kass' and then go to see the elder, so she would have to wait for a while longer. Link glanced around the inn, the only other person here was the inn keeper Cecili who was still fast asleep in one of the beds.

Link wrapped the duvet around her, shivering a little with Rito Village's coldness, despite still wearing her snowquill armour (she had fallen asleep in it last night, she would have to exchange it for other clothing, then exchange it again to make it fresh once more later). She knew Rito Village was going to be too cold, but this was almost too much. The little huts that decked Rito Village were completely open, no windows, not even any shutters to protect them. She supposed Rito Village didn't really need them though, as they were probably one of the safest villages she had been too so far, surrounded by Lake Totori and built all around the natural rock formation, the only way to get to the village at all was the bridge in front of it from the stable, and the Rito would easily be able to see any invaders. Link looked out to the east of the village towards Hyrule Ridge where she had been three months ago. The sun hadn't even fully risen yet, and she curled even more into the duvet as she pulled out the Sheikah slate, looking at her reflection in the screen and touching the white lock of hair on her head, patting it down a little as she looked into her green eyes as a memory suddenly back to her.

( _"Once you reach Rito Village, attempt to connect with the Rito Champion immediately before you even step foot onto the Divine Beast, alright Hero?"_ )

Link jolted, looking out and up into the orange-blueish sky above Rito Village. Medoh still hadn't appeared, but she could still sense it nearby, perhaps it had returned to Hebra Plunge to try and keep its Champion locked away where he couldn't hurt anyone while consumed with malice? But with everything that happened these past three months, and especially with yesterday, the voice's request had completely slipped her mind. Link looked at the slate in her hands and wondered if it was even possible to link up with Revali without touching the furnace. When she had tried back in Goron City, she hadn't been able to connect at all after all. Still, Link supposed, it was worth a try. Link crossed her legs, sitting on the Rito down bed and wrapping the duvet around her back as she looked out towards Hebra Plunge, focusing her power on the slate in front her she activated the blue eyed state and slowly, the slate began to levitate between her hands.

Even as she concentrated, Link found there was something that was bothering her. With Ruta, Mipha's depression had reached her long before she ever came anywhere near the beast itself. And with Rudania, Link remembered the pulsing anger of Daruk, enhanced by the blood moon, as it seemingly influenced her the entire time. But here, in Rito Village, with her being so close to Medoh.. she felt nothing. No emotions what-so-ever. She hoped that wasn't a bad omen. Looking out towards the Hebra Plunge, Link concentrated the power of the slate and shut her eyes.. then pushed forwards. And despite herself, she could feel a weak connection pushing back. She reached out with one hand, tapping the screen as she could suddenly feel herself falling backwards..

* * *

_Link opened her eyes and found herself back in the castle, the same memory as Mipha and Daruk's, with all five Champions and the Princess. There was no dark void, or light void, just finding herself back in this memory once more. But it was different, it was.. disjointed almost. The memory seemed to shimmer like Chi's memories had back on Eventide, but it still moved and she could still hear the memory._

_She watched as the Rito Champion Revali followed along the path up the castle after her ancestor and was pulled along. There was a deep frustration on the Rito's face as Link walked ahead, still carrying the Sheikah slate the Princess had given him just a few moments ago._

_"Hey." the Rito called out, but her ancestor continued to walk forwards and Link looked up, seeing the grand sanctum in front of the two. The Rito growled a little at seemingly being ignored and called out again, " **Link!** " as he did so, Revali reached out and grabbed Link's arm roughly with one wing. The Hylian stopped in his tracks and turned around to face the Rito, not pulling his arm away, with his other hand still clutched onto the Sheikah slate._

_"What do you think you're doing?!" Revali hissed, "You should go down there and support your Princess. She said **we** didn't have to go, but that doesn't apply to **you** does it now, her Silent Knight?" The Hylian Champion looked away, back at the Sheikah slate still clasped in his hand, but Revali continued._

_"No. **No**. You're not going to pull the silent treatment with this time, 'Hero'." the Rito spat the title so hard that Link couldn't help but wince even thought it was just a memory, and the other Champion just looked at him, his blue eyes unflinching as the Rito continued once more, "What is **wrong** with you?! I know you can't possibly be this **stupid**! I've seen the way she looks at you, you know. **Both** of them." This finally seemed to get a rise out of Link, as he sharply pulled his arm from Revali's grasp, turning away from him to hide his face._

_Link watched as her ancestor raised his now free hand, wrapping his fingers around his throat, and was somehow reminded of how she used to be before her journey, unconsciously mirroring him and touching her fingers to her own throat._

_"What did you even **do** to earn that blasted darkness sealing sword on your back?!" Revali was now yelling, and Link sharply glanced around, making sure there was no-one around who could hear them, "I certainly know it wasn't from your charming repertoire!" Link looked at Revali and there was an almost pleading look in his eyes, as he still grasped onto his throat._

_"Do you think it's funny? That you get to look down on everyone else, while you play up your little Silent Hero shtick, without even offering any comfort and care to those who are genuinely suffering around you, like your Princess?" Revali reached out again, grabbing at the front Link's blue Champion tunic as he pulled him sharply forwards, their faces just inches apart as he looked into the Hylian's blue eyes with his Rito green ones, "Or maybe you just don't want to let her down, is that it Link? After all, haven't you and Mipha have been together for far longer then you've known any of the Champions even your Princess? As beloved childhood friends, the two of you must be so close, maybe you even already promised your heart to her all those years ago!" A pained look crossed the Hylian Champion's features, and Link had a sneaking suspicion that, despite what Sir Link had said in Mipha's memory, Link was actually painfully aware of Mipha's feelings._

_Revali scoffed and released Link's tunic, glaring at him, "I've heard that the one who pulls that blade has to be pure of heart, but if you're actually playing around with the hearts of those two loving girls like that.. I must wonder, should that sword have even ended up with someone like you in the first place?"_

_Both Links jolted at the Rito's words and Link released his throat and reached behind him, his hand grasped on the blade's hilt. Revali grinned despite himself, and his own wing tightened around his Great Eagle Bow as he readied it. "Oh, did I touch a nerve there Link? Then are we finally going to settle this one on one? I'll be all to glad to show you how painfully inadequate you truly are when faced against my aerial combat."_

_Link shut his eyes for a moment, then opened them again, looking around the area they were in again before.. releasing the hilt of the blade. Revali let out a huff of frustration, "..For once, I think I understand what you're thinking. It's not appropiate to fight here so close to the sanctum is that it? That we could damage it."_

_Link nodded sharply and Revali sighed. "Fine fine, I get it. But I assume I've said enough for you Link? Once we leave the castle, we can finally have that fight we've been building too for some time now?" Link nodded again and Revali grinned, "Good. Then why don't we meet up later hmm.. maybe near the Sacred Grounds? You better show up Hero, or it'l finally prove once and for all how much of a coward you truly are."_

_The Hylian Champion watched as Revali took off, but Link could see the frustation still on the Rito's face as he flew to the second tallest tower in the castle in the distance.. 'that tower contains Princess Zelda's study' her mind answered. She was forced to follow Revali as this was his memory, but as she looked down towards her ancestor, he watched the Rito leave, his hand now wrapped around his throat again, as the Hylian turned.. and walked into the sanctum. As Link watched him disappear, a strange sense of foreboding took over her._

_As Revali stood on top of the tower, he looked out into the blue sky surrounding Castle Town as his wing tightened around the Great Eagle Bow. There was still deep frustation.. and maybe just a little guilt on his face. "How.. asinine." the Rito muttered to himself, as Link suddenly felt herself falling backwards again.._ _  
_

* * *

Link gasped as she awoke back in the real world. There was a presence near her, and a wing on her shoulder and she looked behind her as she saw Kass. The Rito looked shocked, "Apologies Link, were you doing something with the Sheikah slate there? I didn't realise, I would have waited."

"No, its alright Kass." Link shivered, the coldness of Rito Village felt even more potent having just come out of the memory, but she climbed off the bed anyway as the the sun rose in the distance, tucking the Sheikah slate away, "What's going on anyway?"

"Teba and Harth have returned. They're waiting for us in elder Kaneli's home now."

* * *

In Kaneli's hut, the white feathered Rito Teba paced around while the black feathered Rito Harth sat next to the elder, checking over his swallow bow. "What's taking Kass so long?" Teba muttered as both Amali and his own wife Saki waited near the entrance.

"Please Teba." Saki said, reaching for Teba's wing, "Just be patient." Teba glanced at his wife and his yellow eyes softened for a moment, but then he looked back out towards the Hebra Plunge and his fingers tightened. "It's just.. that _thing_ could attack again at any moment now."

"That _'thing'_ is Master Revali.." Kaneli muttered, a deep sadness in his voice as he glanced outside the windows and down towards Revali's landing, "Just as Kass said, it's not his fault with what happened to him. I know you have respected Revali's skills in the past, Teba, You should still show more respect, especially now, with how much he has clearly suffered."

"It doesn't matter." Teba said, his eyes hardened as he looked at the elder, "Rito Village is my home. Whether it's the Divine Beast, or the Champion himself attacking, I'll stop them no matter what."

"We were so lucky last time." Harth muttered as he looked back towards Hebra Plunge. At how high they were in the village, all of the Rito inside Kaneli's home could see the head of the Divine Beast just poking out of the front of the water where it had plunged itself in again a few weeks back. Even though the Divine Beast didn't glow the Calamity sickly red or the natural Sheikah blue, it was still unnverving how it looked at the village. "If it were not for the Divine Beast itself fighting and trying to recapture its own Champion, Rito Village likely would not still be standing today."

"Then why doesn't the Divine Beast take out it's own Champion?!" Teba snapped, placing his hands on the windowsill of the hut as he glared out at the Divine Beast. ("Teba--!" Saki cried out and Kaneli looked apalled at his words.) "All that Sheikah power contained in that weapon, and you're telling me it wouldn't be able to take down one Rito? Isn't the Divine Beast supposed to be the village's guardian, why would it even _risk_ any damage to the village and all of it's people, even if it means taking the life of it's own Champion?"

"Because.." Kaneli spoke, firmly, although there was a tired sound to his words as they had had this same argument constantly over the last three months, "as Kass explained to us, Master Revali can still be saved, thanks to the Sheikah slate the warrior was gifted."

"And where is Kass?!" Teba yelled, "He spends more time running between Kakariko, Hateno and Akkala then being here among his own people!"

Amali opened her her beak to defend her husband, but surprisngly it was Harth who spoke first, "Teba, come on now, that's _unfair_. Kass isn't a warrior like you and I are. I know the last few months have been stressful, but you don't need to bring down other Rito who are doing everything in their power to help us."

A guilty look passed over Teba's face and he pressed one wing to his eyes, rubbing them. The Rito warrior looked exhausted. "I know.." he glanced to Amali, "I apologise Amali, I spoke out of turn regarding your husband. I know you've suffered the most, with him not being here." Teba folded his wings together in front of his chest, "I just don't know how much longer we're expected to wait for this warrior while the village is in danger. They better be as good as Kass says they are."

At his words though, the Rito bard finally arrived in the hut, panting a little, and all the other Rito looked at him. "Kass!" Kaneli said, relieved as Teba calmed down next to him, "Thank the Goddess, you're back. Did you retrieve your warrior from the inn?"

"I did." Kass moved out of the way, and the Hylian girl behind him stepped forward, the blue sword on her back and her Sheikah slate on her belt, "Elder Kaneli, Teba, Harth, may I formally introduce you all to my dear friend from Lurelin Village, Link."

Link bowed, "It's an honour to meet you all."

Teba uncrossed his arms as he stood upright, looking to the tiny Hylian girl who was barely half his size, "Okay, that's a funny joke Kass. Now where's the warrior you promised us?"

"I.." Kass looked lost as Link looked up at the Rito with her wide green eyes, "this isn't a joke Teba. Link has already saved both both Chamion Mipha of the Zora and Champion Daruk of the Gorons. She'll save Master Revali too, you just have to believe in her. She's become a powerful warrior."

"She. Is. A. _Child._ Kass." Teba paused between each word for extra affect as a weird yet protective rage boiled inside him. He had just only met the Hylian, but looking at those wide (yet also slightly hardened) eyes he could already see how much she had suffered greatly. Teba respected Kass immensely, but his respect was waning with each passing moment. "Would you allow one of your daughters to go to Medoh and fight along side us? Or maybe I should go get Tulin instead, give him a bow and have him go against the best warrior Rito Village has ever produced?"

"Teba.." the Rito's wife, Saki reached for her husband again, but he pulled away from her grasp. Kaneli and Kass were looking at Teba, not knowing what they should say. Next to Teba, Harth was also looking down at the girl. "Goddess, how old are you kid? You barely look that much older then my girl Molli.."

"I-I'm thirteen Harth sir.." Link muttered as she clutched the Sheikah slate. She decided not to mention that she had just turned that age yesterday.

"Thirteen!" Teba raged, "So around the same age as your eldest, Kass. I don't know what must have been happening with the Zora and Gorons, but they must have been out of their _minds_ to let a child so young fight against a Divine Beast and it's possessed Champion!"

"W-we didn't know.." Link stuttered a little, "Back when I stopped Ruta, we had no idea that the Champions were alive back then, let alone that they were possessed by the Calamity's malice. And as for the Gorons.. well, they did try and stop me but.. I went anyway."

"Well you won't be coming with us this time." Teba snapped, but forced himself to calm down. There was no point getting angry at a child, it wasn't like this was her fault. He relaxed and used a calmer voice, moving to kneel before the girl and looking at her sympathetically, "What if something were to happen to you? I couldn't bear the thought of having to tell your family that we allowed a child to fight for us."

Link took a deep breath, opening her eyes and looking at Teba's yellow onces, "With all due respect Teba sir, my parents are dead." (Next to them, Kass winced.) "My grandmother is my only living relative, and she already knows what's going on. She supports my quest whole heartedly."

Teba groaned as he covered his face with his wings, before looking at the Rito bard tiredly, "This is _insane_ Kass, you do realise this yes?"

"Unfortunately, I do." Kass agreed, "But this is the hand of fate that was given to us. Link was granted the Sheikah slate that can be used to heal Master Revali out of that form, as well as the blade that seals the darkness that can be used to fight back the malice itself."

"Okay. _Okay_." Teba said as he stood back up, looking away from all the Rito as he peered off into the distance where Hebra Plunge was, "So, what's the plan then?"

Link stepped forward as she brought out the projection of the map on her Sheikah slate, zooming into Hebra Plunge. There were two yellow dots now, showing her location at Rito Village, and the second showing the destination: Divine Beast Vah Medoh. "You just need to get me onto Medoh. Once I activate the furnace with the slate, Revali.. or rather, the Calamity, will be focused on trying to stop me, so you won't have to worry about the village being attacked. It'll be a lot easier with both of you there, I think with you two fighting along side me I'll be able to free the corruption on Revali's spirit in no time at all."

Link lowered the Sheikah slate, deactivating the map as she looked at her reflection in the screen. It was funny, back with Ruta she had been so scared because of how Sidon had been hurt, to the point that when it came with Rudania, she had wanted to go it alone. She hadn't wanted anyone else to get hurt because of here, but now with Medoh, as she looked at these two battle hardened warriors who had already fought Revali once and were now coming with her to Medoh, she didn't feel scared at all.

Teba nodded, crossing his wings together on his chest, "Sounds a good plan as any other. Still, with the barrier up protecting Medoh after the last assault it won't be as easy as just getting on the Divine Beast."

"Barrier?" Link asked.

Harth continued, "We figured out a while back that we can use bomb arrows on Medoh's cannons, which thankfully weren't set to fire on us, in order to dispel the barrier long enough for us to climb aboard."

"Are you skilled with bow and arrow, Link?" Teba asked and Link tapped on the Sheikah slate, bringing out her Ancient Bow from Robbie. Teba looked almost impressed as Link pulled the drawstring and the bow folded out, the drawstring glowing blue as she did so. Pulling out an arrow, Link looked around for a target, spotting in the distance one of those odd high monster camps between Hebra Trailhead Lodge and Hebra Plunge. It was way too far away, all the way past Lake Totori, but when she activated her blue eyed state she became distantly aware of each monster on that camp and focused intensely on the bokoblin guard at the top of the camp.

Link spoke out as she focused on the bokoblin and aimed the arrow, "This Ancient Bow was developed by a very talented Sheikah in Akkala called Robbie. Its very powerful, yes, but I think you'll find the best thing about it is it's _range_." Link released the arrow and it shot off into the distance at an impossible speed, piercing the bokoblin right in the head as it was speared into the mountain behind it and the other monsters on the camp shrieked in confusion. Link looked up at Teba, who was now staring at Kass as he mouthed out _'KASS. **WHAT**.'_ with his beak, his wings spread out as he indicated at the child as the Rito bard just chuckled a little and the rest of the Rito in Kaneli's hut just stared at her. "Yeah." Link continued, "I'd say I'm pretty good with a bow now, especially considering I had never even held a bow in my life until four months ago."

Teba coughed, "Yes. Well, your skills are up par with us Rito." (Harth couldn't help but grin a little at how quickly serious Teba got again.) "And once Medoh takes off again, it will cause updrafts that we Rito can naturally use to get us up so far. So all three of was will be able to fire bomb arrows down on Medoh's cannons together, naturally you will use a paraglider to ride the updrafts too."

"Ah.." Link stared at the taller Rito, "what's a paraglider?"

Teba looked at her sharply, "You can't be serious." he turned to look at the Rito bard, "Kass, _please_ tell me this girl hasn't been wandering around Hyrule these past couple months taking on Divine Beasts without a paraglider."

"Teba, you know that paragliders are extremely rare." Kaneli spoke out, "They were rare even back in the days before the Great Calamity struck." at Link's confusion the elder continued, "Our ancestors used to make paragliders for Hylians and the other tribes who couldn't naturally fly like we could. Naturally, all the Champions except for Revali of course, had a paraglider crafted for them back in the day."

"Then, what's the problem?" Link asked, "Surely I can just use a paraglider and everything will turn out alright?"

Harth sighed, "I wish it was that easy, but unfortunately the specific crafting tools used for paragliders, as well as the skills needed to craft them, were lost in the hundred years since the Great Calamity. There's no Rito alive now who knows how to make them, and any remaining paragliders that had survived would be unknown. The people who lived in Hyrule Castle Town fled to all corners of the world, finding a descendent who still has a paraglider would be next to impossible."

"This changes things." Teba muttered, uncrossing his wings, "You may have the skills to get onto Medoh, but without a paraglider, it makes the already dangerous mission practically suicidal. One false move Link, and you would go tumbling off Medoh and that would be it."

"Wait. _Wait._ " Link looked panicked, as she followed the two Rito who were now starting to leave Kaneli's hut, "You can't go alone, you need my Sheikah slate! I'm the only one who can activate the furnace and save Revali!"

"Please.. Teba, Harth.. reconsider." Kaneli spoke out to the two departing Rito, "There must be another way for Link to get up to the Divine Beast, if we just strageise some more--"

"There's no more time elder." Teba spoke firmly, "We've wasted enough time as it is." the Rito warrior clenched his wings into fists, "Master Revali.. he would understand. That beyond all else, Rito Village's protection comes first."

Link looked around at the devestated looks on all of the Rito's faces, not really understanding what they were talking about. "Wait, what are you talking about?"

Harth glanced at the girl and there was an apologetic look on his face, "I'm sorry kid. We all decided long ago, that if there was no way to save Master Revali.."

" _Enough_ Harth." Teba snapped, and he looked back at the rest of them. "I knew it could possibly come to this and I've readied myself for it. If I have to end the life of the Rito Champion myself to save Rito Village, then I'll gladly bear that burden."

Even though she was wearing the snowquill set and it was getting warmer in the village with each passing moment, Link suddenly felt like she had been dropped into the freezing cold water surrounding the village. "No." she heard herself speak out, and the Sheikah slate dropped from her hands to the floor. Kass startled, reaching down and grabbing the device. Link stepped forward, looking up at Teba who looked down at the bright almost glowing blue eyes of the girl (blue? when had her eyes been blue? he could have sworn they were green before).

" _No_." Link repeated and there was a strange ethereal tone coming from her voice, "You are not going to kill the Rito Champion. We _need_ him." Link reached behind her and pulled out the blade from it's scabbard. Teba jumped back, startled as he lifted his falcon bow in retaliation.

"Please!" Kaneli cried out, and the other Rito jumped between the two, trying to calm everything down. Saki reached for her husband, trying to lower his bow while Kass and Amali tried to calm down Link.

"U-unless you can think of a better way.." Teba couldn't help but stammer a little, as he looked into the girl's blue eyes.. it almost felt like he was back on Medoh looking at the malice infused Rito Champion's blue guardian like eyes. Similar, but not exactly the same. "The only people I could trust not to get themselves killed would be any of the Champions themselves, and the two freed ones would not be able to get out here quickly enough." A sudden thought came to him as the Hylian girl seemed to struggle with herself, the blade lowering as she rubbed her eyes with her free hand, the blue eyes turning back to their usual green, "Or.. perhaps if not an actual Champion, then maybe a _descendant_ of a Champion would do."

Kass startled again at Teba's words, still holding the Sheikah slate as he looked desperately between Link and Teba. Just say it Kass, say it now!

Link looked up at Teba and her eyes started to tear up a little, "Well if that's what you need, why didn't you say so earlier?" there was frustration building in her and she pushed out her chest and pressed her fist to it as she looked directly at Teba, "Let me introduce myself again. My name is Link, I herald from Lurelin Village, and the Hylian Champion was my grandmother's brother."

Kass completely froze at her words, as the Sheikah slate slipped from his wings back to the floor. No. _No_! When had she..?

Teba instead just laughed at her words, "You expect me to believe that now? If that was true, why wouldn't you just open with that? Not to mention, Kass would have told me before--" Teba looked at the Rito bard who was trembling heavily, one wing over his beak, "..Kass?"

Everyone else in the hut turned to the bard who was only staring at Link. The Hylian turned to him, green eyes meeting yellow, and even though there was barely a few metres between them, it suddenly felt like they were miles apart. Link felt stunned. Kass had already known about her relation to the Hylian Champion.

There was a sudden shriek in the distance, and everyone in the hut turned startled towards where the cry had come from. At Hebra Plunge in the distance, Medoh was pulling itself free of the icy waters it had embedded itself in. Teba and Harth immediately left the hut without another word, running down to Revali's landing to take off and Kaneli took immediate charge. "Saki, Amali, we need to move everyone into the inn for now for safety." the two Rito ladies nodded, and Amali grabbed her husband's wing, "Come on Kass.." she said softly, even as her husband was still looking at the Hylian girl, "We have to go, now."

"It's okay Kass." Link swallowed, pushing those feelings down as she put on a brave face, picking up the Sheikah slate once more as she looked at her father's friend, "Go, be with your family." Kass was pulled out of the hut somewhat relunctantly by Amali as the three headed to the lower levels of the village.

With only Kaneli and Link still in the hut now, the elder looked at her. "Link, I can't stop you from doing what you feel is best, and I am sorry I couldn't convince Teba and Harth. But for what it's worth.. I truly _believe_ you can save Master Revali."

Link nodded sharply and ran out of the hut, rushing down to the village with the fleeing Rito who were heading to the inn. It was pandemonium in the village and the Hylian looked up seeing Medoh as it took off, flying around the village. Looking down into the Sheikah slate, she could feel the voice inside regarding her contemplatively as she headed for the general store. ( _"I've been suspecting it for some time myself now, Hero, that you had figured out the truth about your ancestry."_ | Link grit her teeth a little in response to that way too calm voice. | _"Does it matter? I've got a job to do."_ | The voice let out a sigh. | _"Hrm. I suppose it really does not."_ ) Running into the general store, the shop keeper Misa had already been evacuated and Link eyed the bundle of five bomb arrows on the table, pulling out a gold rupee and dropping it on the table as she took the arrows. "Sorry, hope this is enough to suffice."

Running out of the store, Link headed back up to Revali's Landing, the path now completely clear as all the remaining Rito had been moved to the inn in time, as the voice spoke out to her again. ( _"What are you going to do Hero? That Sheikah's bow has impressive range, sure, but even it won't be able to hit Medoh with how fast its moving."_ ) Link just grit her teeth as she stopped right in the center off the Rito symbol adorning the landing. Teba had already taken off, flying towards the Divine Beast, but Harth turned to the Hylian startled as she came up behind him, loading a bomb arrow into the Ancient Bow. "What are you doing kid? We already told you, we can't take you up there."

"Please, just be quiet!" Link snapped as she readied the bow in one hand, holding the Sheikah slate above her head as her eyes glowed blue, "I need to concentrate!" There was an sudden abjact feeling of horror reaching her through the slate. ( _"..Wait. You can't possibly be serious, while that's not impossible, the device just doesn't have that much energy--!"_ ) "You be quiet too!" Link snapped at the voice as her blue eyes glowed even brighter, her face feeling way too hot as she stepped back a little, reaching her head back so she could look directly at Medoh.

* * *

In East Reservoir Lake, Mipha was sitting on the guest bed that a guard would usually take as she did maintence on her Lightscale Trident. Next to her, the Zora blacksmith Dento was giving her advice as she worked on it. Glancing away for a moment, the Princess looked at Zora's Domain in the distance and Dento looked at her sympathetically, "Mipha, please don't worry, your brother will come around in due time."

Mipha turned to him, a sad smile on her face as she just nodded. Then all of a sudden, the Zora's head shot us as she looked at Ruta in the reservoir near her. "Ruta..? What's wrong?" Mipha stood up and Dento stepped back warily. Ruta was moving without it's pilot controlling it, as it turned towards the north west of Hyrule towards the region Hebra..

* * *

In Goron City, Yunobo couldn't help but watch in awe as his grandpa chewed down on.. what must have been his _fifth_ rock roast in a row. Next to the two, Bludo just shook his head, "Your appetite is as ravenous as ever Lord Daruk."

"Gahaha!" Daruk roared out with laughter, "What can I say? With how much I've been piloting Rudania recently, keeping watch over Death Mountain, it takes a lot of energy and just makes me hungry." he tried handing one of the untouched rock roasts to Yunobo who blanched a little.

"N-no thanks grandpa Daruk. I was already full after the first rock roast. I couldn't eat another bite, goro."

"Aw Yunobo, kid. You'll never hit your growth spurt if you don't eat more pure rock roasts. Maybe if you weren't snacking on gems all the time, you'd be more hungry when it came to proper meal times."

At Daruk's words, Bludo just glared at Yunobo at his ward who winced a little, shrugging.

Half way through his rock roast, Daruk's head suddenly shot up as he yelled out, "What in the.." and the Goron actually abandoned his food, rushing out of Yunobo's home and looking behind Goron City to Goro Cove where he had parked the Divine Beast. Yunobo and Bludo headed out after him, and Yunobo gasped. The head of Rudania was moving, looking to the west as it pointed up into the sky..

* * *

The voice was beyond stunned as Link's eyes glowed even brighter, her entire eyes turning a bright Sheikah blue as she channeled the energy of the Divine Beasts furnaces through the Sheikah slate and into her own body, a faint blue glow appearing around her body as she did so. ( _"..Incredible. You're not even controlling Ruta and Rudania completely, and yet you've managed this far. I didn't think this was possible at all until you had completely freed all four Divine Beasts." | "Why are you so surprised? Aren't you the creator of the Divine Beasts? You're fully aware of the capabilites of the slate you created aren't you?"_ )

The slate's voice went completely silent. Not a shred of emotion was coming through it, and yet Link just knew that the voice was enraged at what she had just said. ( _"..How do you know all of this? How much more do you know about me?"_ ) "..Not nearly enough as I would like." Link muttered bitterly, as she tapped the stasis rune, freezing the Divine Beast Vah Medoh completely in its tracks before it could get any higher in the air.

As she did so, a loud shriek pierced the skies of Rito Village, but it wasn't the shriek of the Divine Beast. Above her, Teba looked sharply down at Revali's landing, spotting the Hylian girl. "What do you think you're doing?!" he bellowed out at her.

Placing the Sheikah slate onto her belt again, Link readied the Ancient Bow once more with both hands, "I'm gonna get us onto Medoh without having the need for a paraglider." and she fired the first bomb arrrow, right towards the the cannon on the head of the Divine Beast. The bomb arrow pierced the cannon in one hit as smoke billowed out from it, and another shriek came from from the Divine Beast. Link could feel the presence of the entrapped malice infused Rito Champion under the barrier, and knew that once it was down they wouldn't have much time. She had to get to the furnace immediately. Stepping backwards a few more steps, Link angled another shot on the landing at another angle, preparing a second bomb arrow. Below her she could sense the Rito watching from the inn, and even more so the Hylian overlookers at the Rito Stable who could clearly see what was going on. ( _So that's what you meant about this not being a secret for much longer, huh Chi?_ Link thought to herself.) With how closed Zora's Domain and Goron City had been, it was a miracle they had managed to keep it a secret for so long, but Rito Village was completely in open air and right next to a stable to boot.

"It's a good thing I got all that training in the last three months. I'm going to need it." Link muttered to herself as she fired off the second bomb arrow at the eastern closest cannon. Again, it made its mark, detonating the head of the cannon as smoke billowed out from it. Teba looked backwards at the two smoking cannons of the Divine Beast, hardly able to believe his eyes. Just what in all of Hyrule was this kid?

Link grit her teeth as she stepped around the landing, looking for another good shot, but the other two cannons were hidden behind the frozen Medoh. Link turned around, looking for a better place to fire from, spotting the high perch above the village as she rushed towards it. Next to her, Harth suddenly grabbed onto her shoulder and she turned to look at him. "Get on kid. I'll take you to the the highest point of the village."

"Harth!" Teba yelled to his childhood friend, aghast, and Harth glanced over at him, "Give it a rest Teba, look at what she's _done_. I understand your worries, I truly do, but you can sit there and complain, or you can come and help us take out the other two cannons."

As Link climbed onto Harth's back and the Rito flew up the tallest point of the village, Teba looked back onto Medoh's still frozen form, and then down to the village inn where all the villagers (including his own family) had been evacuated too. The Rito grimaced a little in worry, before steading his own falcon bow and following Harth and Link to the top.

* * *

In Rito Stable, Galli the stable keeper, as well as one of his two stable hands Lester, and his usual patron Ponthos were watching from afar at the strange bird that had appeared for the second time in a few weeks. "What do you think that thing is anyway?" Lester asked as he placed his hand over his eyes from his place by the cooking pot, straining a little to look at the strange thing in the sky.

Ariane, the other stable hand, hummed a little as she brushed at the floor inside the inn, peering outside. "Does it matter? The Rito will take care of it like they did last time." at footsteps in the distance, Ariane looked to see the merchant Beedle heading down from the south west path leading from Kolami Bridge. "Oh Beedle." she called out to him, "You're back so soon? I thought you were heading to Tabantha Stable."

Beedle grumbled a little as he sat down next to the cooking pot, taking off his massive beetle shaped backpack and placing it beside him, "Well I was, but there were tons of Lizalfos on the path, and while I can _usually_ get past them no problem, they're extra aggravated for some reason." Beedle glanced up at the thing in the sky, "Besides, seems like there's much more interesting things happening here anyway. Maybe an event like that will help bring in some customers, so I don't mind waiting here for a little while longer before I head off again."

Ariane nodded, "Well Beedle, you know you're always welcome to stay here."

Suddenly another Hylian was right next to them and Ariane yelped as she jumped back a little. Where had she come from? "Interesting event? You're out of your _mind_! This is way more then just interesting! It's the scoop of a lifetime! Perfect for me, Traysi, the award winning investigative journalist!" The Hylian, who wore thick clothing, carried a blue bag and had short brown hair tied in pigtails was carrying a book and an ink pen as she jotted down notes, all the Hylians in the inn watching as bomb arrows fired down on the strange mechanical bird in the distance.

Beedle watched the Hylian Traysi as he sorted out his backpack's contents, relaxing down into his spot by the inn. Internally in the disguise as the critter merchant though, Dorian's thoughts were frantic. This was bad. _Extremely_ bad. Out of all the days for the Hero to get to Rito Village, the most open area of the four Divine Beasts, it would be today when that journalist was here. Watching Traysi out of the corner of his eye, he wondered if he should follow her afterwards and take her out before she could have what happened here published. But he knew deep down that was out of the question. Not because he _couldn't_ take a life (he was Yiga after all that notion was ridiculous) but Traysi was the closest thing to a modern day celebrity that Hyrule had, if she disappeared under mysterious circumstances, it would only make things even more suspicious. And besides.. Dorian glanced around at the other people in the stable. Even _he_ couldn't take out an entire stable of Hylians and not have word get around that something was going on. Dorian looked up Divine Beast Vah Medoh, knowing deep down that it was inevitable. By the time Medoh was freed, most of Hyrule and the Yiga Clan especially would know that a new Hero existed. Dorian would have to adjust his strategy, and started thinking about what he could do regarding a certain artifact in Gerudo Town that the Yiga Clan had had their eyes on for well over a century now..

* * *

Link watched amazed as hers and Teba's bomb arrows had taken out the third and fourth cannon respectively at the same time. It was easy with her Ancient Bow and the range of it, she just had to fire in the direction of the cannon and it had hit its mark easily, but Teba had done something really special with his falcon bow, firing the arrow at an odd angle, as it had shot into the air before gravity pulled the arrow down and it hit its mark. It really showed just how good of an archer Teba was, that he had known the exact angle where to fire from. Harth looked over at his childhood friend, "If I didn't know you better Teba, I'd almost say you were trying to show off there."

Teba didn't even look at Link and Harth as he put away his falcon bow and got ready to take off, "Come on. We need to get on Vah Medoh before the barrier falls."

"Don't worry about that." Link said as she put away the Ancient Bow, "As long as I don't release stasis or switch to a different rune magic, Medoh will remain frozen." the two Rito looked at the device in her hands and Teba looked almost impressed, "So we can get right on top of it, and especially directly above where the furnace is, before I release it."

Teba nodded sharply, "Well, the sooner we can do so, the better it will be for the village." Harth bent down, as Link climbed on his back once more and Teba watched the girl. Suddenly, the Rito noted something he hadn't before. In the midst of the the girl's traditional Hylian blonde hair, there was a single lock of almost Sheikah like white. As he continued to watch, the white seemed to move outwards, a second lock of her hair turning from blonde to white right before his own eyes. Teba shivered despite himself, as he glanced downwards to the inn where Kass now was and how the Rito bard had shook at the girl admitting she was the Hylian Champion's descendent. ( _Kass.._ the RIto wondered to himself, _how much do you really know about this whole thing?_ ) before he took off, following Harth and Link towards Medoh, his eyes turning to look at the Sheikah slate on the girl's belt..

* * *

At the stable Lester called out, "Oh, look! Those two Rito are climbing aboard the strange bird again!" and all the Hylians watched as true to what Lester said, the strange blue barrier surrounding it disappeared and the two Rito flew onto it.

A terrible shriek pierced the sky around Rito Village, and the Hylians in the stable couldn't help but wince. Ariane looked up, having abandoned her chores to watch with the other Hylians, as she murmured out, "..I hope it goes better for them this time.."

Traysi suddenly started yelling out as she got closer to the bridge leading to the village. Lester rushed out after her, grabbing her hand as he tried to lead the Hylian back to the safety of the stable, "What are you doing?! It's too dangerous to get so close to the village!"

Traysi looked back at the other Hylian, a sudden look of fear in her brown eyes compared to the glee she had shown earlier, "But didn't any of you see it?! There's a Hylian _child_ with those two Rito!"

Depsite himself, Dorian felt his fear magnify tenfold as the Hylians among him rushed forward, chattering loudly amongst themselves, "A child? Are you sure Traysi? Why would the Rito take a Hylian who can't fly, let alone a child with them into such a dangerous situation?" Helplessly, his thoughts turned back to their last encounter at the Spring of Courage.

( _"I think you're just people who were forced to take this path by your own ancestors, even if you now believe it to be the right thing to do."_

_"Well, you **would** know all about that, wouldn't you Hero?"_

_"You can't just defend. A monster wouldn't go easy on you. A monster would **kill** you without a second thought if you let it. You need to fight with everything you have just to survive **Link**! Attack me like you would any monster! Like your very life depends on it, Hero!"_

_"I already told you back in Kakariko, and I'll tell you again now. I will not fight you. You're not a monster Dorian. You're a living breathing **person** just as I am."_

_"If you want to die so badly on this pointless quest of yours so badly, then please, by all means, continue forwards like so many of your predecessors have before you! But if you have any sense in you whatsoever, and the wish to live to adulthood, then you should adhere to what I've told you and **go home!!** "_)

As Dorian looked onto Vah Medoh, he found that with all the things he despised in this world (his Sheikah ancestors.. and that blasted Goddess they so revered..) it was _himself_ he hated most of all, for ever letting things get this far.

* * *

As the two Rito and the Hylian stepped down onto the Divine Beast, the three looked around sharply, the two Rito with their bows raised and Link who had replaced her own bow with the sword that seals the darkness. While they had heard endless shrieking while attacking Medoh's cannons, now that they were on the Divine Beast itself there was nothing but a still eery quietness. "I don't like this." Teba muttered as he paced around, hovering near Link protectively, "Where's the Champion?"

Link pulled out the Sheikah slate, tapping on the map as Medoh's schematics appeared on it. With her blue eyes, she looked around the top of the Divine Beast as she eyed the furnace with malice gooping out of it.

( _"All of this.. what happened to us.. it's all my fault."_ )

Link span around, her blue eyes wide. She hadn't even touched the furnace but.. she could sense Revali's thoughts and feelings that now burned through her. With Mipha, it had been her sadness. With Daruk, his anger. But now here with Revali, a terrible feeling of guilt crashed through her. She hadn't noticed it at all, because it was so similar with how she usually felt these days.

( _"If I hadn't provoked him.. perhaps we would have won. But we couldn't find him at all in the castle. He was in the sanctum, where the Calamity first attacked from. There's no way he survived. Link is dead because of **me**."_)

"Master Revali!" Link called out and the two Rito glanced at her alarmed, "Please, I don't know where you are, but I can _help_ you! Mipha and Daruk are alive, you haven't failed at all. I don't know where the Hylian Champion is, but if he's still alive out there somewhere, I will help him too! I promise you that!"

"Link.." Teba muttered as the two Rito kept their bows still raised, as they looked around the Divine Beast for the malice infused Rito Champion. Teba then saw something in the corner of his eye, turning around to the bottom of the Divine Beast and away from the furnace, which lead into the interior of Medoh. Harth and Link followed his eyes, and Link spotted a white and blue wing covered in malice pushing itself up to where they were. Harth and Teba's own wings tightened on their bows as the malice infused Rito pushed himself up, blue guardian eyes focused on the Hylian girl in front of him, his other wing clutched onto his Great Eagle Bow. Link tried to step forward, but Teba placed out his free wing, stopping the girl in her tracks.

"Go, now, to the furnace." Teba said quietly and Link glanced at him before turning back to Revali. There was something.. _different_ about him. Mipha had attacked them straight away on Ruta, and Yunobo had explained something very similiar when they had been talking about it after Rudania, but here with Medoh, as she looked into those guardian like blue eyes and the fact that Revali wasn't attacking them. Was it because she was here? Was it what she had said?

"Wait." she looked at Teba, "Let me talk to Revali. There's something.. different about him, compared to how the other Champions were." Teba let out a tsk, but removed his wing from her chest, letting her walk forward. Him and Harth readied their bows just in case though as Link stepped forward, locking her eyes with his blue guardian like ones.

"Master Revali." Link spoke, finding it a little odd that she was talking out in the open like this and not in that strange void world when she was connected to the furnace. "I've heard so much about you from Mipha and Daruk, and even my own friend Kass, a Rito like you. You inspire the young Rito here in the village so much, they even named their landing after you." Revali's wing tightened around his bow. "And they've taken good care or your training area, the Flight Range." Link held out one hand to the Rito Champion, "There are so many in the village who would love to meet their Hero, the great Rito Champion Revali. Please, come with us!"

Revali seemed to look at her hand.. and then, slowly, almost hesitantly, he reached out for her, pushing his wing out of the malice. ("I don't believe it.." Teba muttered behind her.)

Then all of a sudden, a presence seemed to grab hold of Link and she was falling backwards into that dark void.

* * *

_Link opened her eyes and she was covered in malice again. That Sheikah child was in front of her once more, but this time, the child looking directly at her, raising their head as she saw the face for the time under that Sheikah hat much like the one Kass wore. The boy looked like he was around her age. He wore Sheikah clothing, he had white Sheikah hair, but his eyes.. there was nothing Sheikah about them. Instead, Link found all of a sudden, that she was looking into almost yellow **Gerudo** like eyes._

_"Stop taking them away from me." the boy spoke out to her and there was a deep hatred unlike anything she had ever felt in his voice, "You can't have them back. I won't allow it."  
_

_"Are.. are you talking about the Champions?!" Link asked, a strange possessive feeling blossoming in her own chest._

_The boy stamped his foot in frustration and it almost looked like a tantrum, "Don't play dumb with me father!"_

_..Father? Who was he talking too?_

_The expression on the boy's face changed and he looked younger almost, despite looking exactly the same, happy and content, and not a shred of hatred inside him, "When do I get one of my own anyway? You'll make one for me too right?"_

_"..Hrm. Perhaps." Link heard herself speak out, but she had a feeling that she was just humouring the boy. She couldn't allow that kind of power to fall into his hands.. just in case. "If you could have one, hypothetically, what animal would you like anyay?"_

_"A horse! I want something that can ride across all the lands of Hyrule!"_

* * *

Link gasped as she fell out of the void and back into the real world. She was aware of the Sheikah slate first, how suddenly heavy and uncomfortable it felt on her belt before her attention was turned back to Revali. The malice infused Rito let out a shriek, dropping his Great Eagle Bow as his wings went to the sides of his head, holding it as he shook and screamed. Link didn't have time to think about what she had just seen meant as next to her, Teba and Harth reacted immediately as they loaded their bows with arrows and aimed for the Rito Champion.

Link panicked, rushing forward to Revali, "No! Teba, Harth please don't!!" She reached for the Sheikah slate, using stasis on the Rito Champion just in time before their arrows hit him. She quickly released the stasis rune, and Revali went flying backwards into the interior of the Divine Beast again. Link turned around, using stasis again but this time on Harth and Teba, freezing them both in place. Harth was frozen in a look of shock, and Teba just looked angry as his frozen eyes focused on Link's face. "Sorry.." Link apologised, "please, just give me a little more time. I'll free Revali, I promise you." she looked at the furnace behind them, gritting her teeth a little before following Revali down into the interior of the Divine Beast.

"Master Revali!" she called out, before she spotted the Champion, the malice oozing off him as he flew west into a different room. She took a running jump, just barely grabbing onto bottom of the small ladder that led that way, climbing up and following him into the room. Revali had wandered off into a little room with a barrier surrounding it and as she rushed towards him, Medoh closed off the gate into the little room, seperating the two.

"Master Revali--!" Link called out again, placing her hands on the translucent barrier that seperated them.

"Stay.. away.. from.. me.." Revali gurgled out to her as he continued to look away from her, his voice choked in malice, "all I.. do.. is hurt.. people.."

"That's not true!" Link called to him, "I saw your memory at Hyrule Castle, your argument with my predecessor, you were just defending your fellow Champion Mipha and Princess Zelda's honour weren't you? You wanted to make sure they weren't being hurt!"

Revali seemed to scof at the suggestion, even though his voice was still choked in malice. There appeared to be two parts of the Rito Champion struggling against each other and the Calamity itself.

Link tightened her hands into fists as she thought of her ancestor, "All this time I thought the Hylian Champion hadn't been aware of Mipha's feelings, but that wasn't true was it?" She thought of her reaction to the Zora tunic Mipha had made for her uncle, how her heart had _sunk_ at just seeing it, despite not knowing what it was then, and glanced at the sword in her hand. Originally, she hadn't known there was a voice at all. Then she had learned that the voice was connected to the Sheikah, and was probably Chi's mystery twin, the creator of the Divine Beasts, but she had still felt her predecessor's feelings.

And even before that, she had seen his memories at her grandmother's house (it had evantually dawned on her that, of course, it had been _their_ home before the family moved to Hyrule Castle Town, and her grandmother and great grandmother had just moved back into it after escaping to Hateno) without even touching a furnace or a Divine Beast. As she looked into the Sheikah slate's screen, Link wondered then, if she somehow had a connection to both of them. Chi's mystery twin through the slate, and Link the Hylian Champion through the sword.

But there was still a lingering thought going through her as she looked at the sword once more. It had been in the sanctum too with it's Champion, but she had found it back in it's pedestal at Korok Forest. There was a chance then, however slim, that her ancestor had somehow survived. and she clung onto that desperate hope.

Link tried not to think about the fact that he was seemingly aware of Mipha's feelings. It made her heart hurt in a way she couldn't comprehend. Everything she had seen about her ancestor so far gave the idea that he was a quiet (like her. _so_ much like her) and dedicated but good hearted kid. Link shook her head, she had to get these feelings out of her mind. She had to focus on the Rito Champion in front of her for now.

"You blamed yourself for what happened at the castle, but it's not your fault Master Revali! How could _any_ of what happened back there be your fault? You didn't cause the Calamity!" Revali turned to face her, and she noted how one of his blue guardian like eyes was flickering, showing his green Rito eye beneath it.

"You and the other Champions and the Hyrulean army, equipped with the tech that Robbie created.." Link continued as she pressed her hands to the barrier seperating them. Behind her she could hear Teba and Harth rushing into the room with their bows equipped, "because of your brave efforts, so many Hylian lives were saved!" Link shut her eyes for a moment before reopening them, the blue of her own eyes turned back to their own green, "Including Link's own family, his mother and sister!"

Revali stared at her, one eye now turned back to green, as he pressed one wing dripping with malice to the other side of the barrier,"Ar.. yll?"

"Yes!" Link could hear herself sob desperately. "I'm her granddaughter! So.. please..! Don't blame yourself! The reason I exist today is because of what you all did a hundred years ago!!"

* * *

In East Reservoir Lake, Mipha placed one hand to the top of Ruta, after it had seemingly finally calmed down. Then just as suddenly, she looked up to north west as she placed a hand over her own heart. There seemed to a voice calling out to her, and she knew instantly who it was. "Revali.." Mipha stood up and channeled her feelings out towrds Hebra, hoping the Rito could hear her pleas.

* * *

In Goro Lake, Daruk patted Rudania as Yunobo and Bludo watched from the distance. The Goron had no idea what that had all been about, but it seemed to be all over now his connection with the Divine Beast was reaffirmed again. Then, he struggled as he focused on strange feelings that seemed to blossom in him that came from nowhere. Daruk glanced to the left and right of him in confusion, before glancing to the west towards Hebra. It made no sense, but he could've sworn he could somehow hear Revali calling out to him. Sitting down on top of Rudania, Daruk concentrated as hard as he could. "Come on Revali, I know you can break free, don't be so stubborn!"

* * *

In Geurdo Desert, still trapped within her own Divine Beast, a being still choked with malice as red as her hair seemed to looked up to the north as a voice called out to her. She.. she remembered that voice somehow, but she didn't know _why_. There were other voices too, one to the north east, and one much more north then that. Their presences had disappeared from her a while back, but she could still sense them somehow. There was.. another presence too. This one came from the center of all four of them, the loudest one of them all as it called out to her and she raised her hand despite herself, hoping that she could still reach them somehow.

Then another presence appeared, different from the five of them, choking her feelings as it consumed her completely. There was something familiar about this new presence in a way that was different from the other four. The five of them were bound by fate, but this new presence seemed to be bound by.. blood? It was _so_ familiar and she sank into it, dropping her hand, despite still wishing she could help the other four as she began to sing to the presence. And as she began to sing, the new presence sank into her being completely..

* * *

Revali screamed out as he started to pull himself free of the malice despite the tendrils still trying to cling to him, his wing outstretched still to Link. The two advancing Rito stopped behind the Hylian and Harth heard himself call out despite himself, "Come on Master Revali! You can do it, there's no way something like this will keep down the best Rito archer the village's ever had!" Teba instead, kept his eyes on the girl and her Sheikah slate. There's no way this whole thing could be this easy, the furnace was still covered in malice after all.

Revali choked out, looking at the two Rito and the Hylian in front of him.. focusing on the girl (and Mipha and Daruk whose presences he could somehow feel near him) he pushed one last desperate time, gathering his willpower as he pressed forward. He could still feel the furnace's hold on him and it was so strong, it was almost overpowering. The Calamity was strong. Overbearingly strong. But he was _stronger_.

A scream tearing his throat, Revali stepped forward, collapsing forward onto the ground of Medoh as the malice left his form. Link watched as the malice itself seemed to shriek out, having nothing to hold onto as it disappeared upwards through the Divine Beast itself and back to the furnace. As it did, and Revali's now free body lay on the ground, Medoh opened the gate, and all three came rushing into the room.

"Thank the Goddess." Link heard herself sob as she looked down at Revali's passed out form before looking at Harth, "Now all we have to do is use the Sheikah slate to free the malice itself from the furnac--" Link choked out as Teba's falcon bow suddenly slammed into her back, knocking her out cold.

" _Teba!_ " Harth yelled, turning to his childhood friend, aghast, "What are you _doing_?!"

Teba grabbed the Sheikah slate from Link's belt as he turned around to head back to the outside area, "Get them both back to the village. I'll get rid of the malice myself."

"But you don't know _how_!"

"I'll figure it out, it can't be that hard." Teba glanced back at Harth, "Just get them both back to the village."

"Teba--!"

" _Harth._ " Teba glanced back at Harth, his yellow eyes fierce and Harth went quiet at the look. When Teba was determined like this, there was nothing stopping him. "Go. _Now._ " Harth looked at the two knocked out bodies, before grimacing a little, grabbing both of them as he followed Teba outside to the top area.

* * *

Back down in the inn a while back, Kass looked out worriedly at the Divine Beast Vah Medoh still circling around the village. It was getting faster and faster the more it circled around the village, the updrafts the beast was making spinning around the village violently. Next to him Amali reached out, taking one of Kass' wings in her own. Next to them, the inn keeper Cecili and the general store owner Misa were playing games and telling stories to the seven children to try and keep them occupied and not on what was happening outside.

As a particuarly loud shriek from Medoh, Kass looked up in horror, pulling his wing away from Amali as he turned to leave the inn, "I'm going up there!"

"Kass _no_!" Amali cried out loud, desperately trying to reach out to him.

"I can't let anything happen to her!" Kass tightened his wings into fists, "I don't know what I was thinking, this is far too too dangerous! She's my friend's daughter.."

He turned to Amali, an apologetic look in his yellow eyes, "I'm sorry Amali." he turned away from her, "I'm sorry for everything." and he headed back up village towards Revali's landing. The wind around the village was insanely powerful and it tore around him like nothing, still he charged fowards, finally reaching the landing as he looked up towards Vah Medoh. Taking in a deep breath, Kass tried to take off but just as he did so a powerful gust of wind overpowered him, sending him crashing back down the village. The Rito bard desperately tried to fight against the wind as he at least tried to get back to the Revali's landing, but it was far too strong and he was thrown backwards to the north away from the village and to the stable.

"Incoming!" Lester managed to yell out a quick warning to the overlooking Hylians as they parted and the Rito bard crashed into the horse symbol top of the stable, letting out a low moan of pain as the Hylians all looked up at him, 

"Kass!" Galli called out, "Are you alright?!"

"I'm fine." Kass called out to the worried Hylians below him, "Luckily the stable itself caught my fall." as he tried to stand though, a searing pain shot through his left wing and he winced, clinging onto it with his right wing as he tumbled back down towards the stable staff. Carefully, Kass managed to climb over the roof of the stable as the Hylians helped him down and onto a chair by the cooking pot. Kass winced as he held his injured wing.

Next to him Ariane was looking just ahead of the the cooking pot on the path he'd fallen, "K-Kass.." she muttered and he turned around, wincing a little with the pain of his wing as he looked to what she was pointing at, and the bard's heart fell. Laying on the ground where he'd fallen from, was his instrument the concertina, broken in two pieces. The precious gift he had recieved from his teacher.

Despite the pain in his wing, Kass got up, barely hearing the voices of the Hylians around him as they tried to get him to sit back down, (Ariane rushing into the stable to get some bandages for his wing), falling to his knees in front of the broken instrument.

"You can get another one, can't you Kass?" Lester asked.

"Yes.." Kass muttered sadly, "but this one was a gift from my teacher, which in turn was a gift from a dear person he loved. It has survived since even the Great Calamity." Kass placed his uninjured wing over his beak as he looked helplessly up at Medoh in the distance. With this injured wing, he wouldn't be able to get up there now. And now he had lost the instrument that connected him to his teacher. Kass had never felt as helpless as he did right now.

* * *

Harth grimaced as his feet hit the landing, still holding the bodies of the Rito Champion and the Hylian girl as he struggled down to the inn. Glancing up at Medoh above him, he hoped Teba wasn't doing anything stupid right now.

"Harth!" The Rito turned to see the elder as Kaneli approached him from his own home. "I saw you coming down-- oh." Kaneli looked at the two, "Are.. are they alright?"

"Yes, they're alive. Just knocked out. Help me get them to the inn elder?"

"Of course." Kaneli took the Hylian girl, holding her small body in his large wings as they headed down to the inn. As they approached, the Rito came out and the children gasped, seeing Revali's Champion scarf, "Is that the Champion Revali?!" they excitedly asked as Cecili and Misa tried to calm them down, stopping them from crowding the two beds Link and Revali were placed onto. Amali just watched from afar, clutching onto her red Rito clothing as she looked around, "Have any of you seen Kass?"

Harth glanced around, noting the bard was missing, "Is he not here?"

"He went out a while back to try and help you up there with Medoh. But he hasn't come back yet."

Harth got back up, "I didn't see him up at Medoh, but I'll have a look around for you Amali."

"Harth wait." Saki suddenly called out, "Where's Teba?"

Harth glanced at her, a guilty look on his face, "He's.. still on Medoh."

"What?! Why is he still there?!"

"He said he was going to try and stop Medoh by himself, he even took the kid's Sheikah slate, I tried to stop him but.." Harth shook his head, "A-anyway, I'll go look for Kass." and he headed out of the inn.

Just as he left though, the Hylian on the bed groaned and the Rito watched as Link opened her eyes, coming too and sitting up. She looked around the Rito in the inn, her eyes focusing on Revali who was still knocked out on his bed. "Ughhh.." she groaned, rubbing her eyes. She must have fallen unconscious again, just like she did back on Ruta. She thought she was past that now though, still she noted how the wind was still extremely strong around the village and hoped it hadn't been too long she had been out for as she moved to stand up.

She became distinctly aware of a presence that wasn't by her side anymore, as she glanced to her belt, realising the Sheikah slate was gone as her head shot up to Medoh in the distance realising all of a sudden what had happened and the only Rito who weren't in the inn right now. She looked at Kaneli and the elder saw the terrified look on her face, "Please tell me those two still aren't up on Medoh."

"Only Teba, but unfortunately so." Kaneli sighed, "That boy's always been impatient, but this is too much even for _him_."

"And he took the Sheikah slate.. but it won't _work_ for him!" Link cried out as she clutched a hand to her Rito tunic, "It only works for two people, myself and Robbie. Teba won't be able to use it to clear the malice!"

Saki looked between the elder and Link as she held onto Tulin who was still trying to get close to the passed out Revali on the bed.

Without another word, Link rushed back out of the inn and uptowards Revali's landing as Kaneli followed her, "You won't be able to get back up there. Kass tried earlier, but the updrafts were too strong. Only someone of Teba or Master Revali's skill would be able to fly up into updrafts like this."

Link pushed forwards regardless, as terror blossomed in her chest, stepping onto Revali's landing as she looked up at the circling Divine Beast around the village and the intense winds that were billowing around her. It was even more intense then on Mount Lanayru with Naydra. The entire time she was there on the Divine Beast, the voice hadn't spoke to her even _once_ and she grit in her teeth in frustration. She knew the voice had been upset with what she had said, but they hadn't even _warned_ her that she was about to get attacked. Clutching onto her Rito tunic, she desperately looked up at Medoh and wanted more then anything to get there. She had no idea what was going on and she was terrified for Teba's life. What was he _thinking_? That Rito had a wife and a child, and yet it was like he was _determined_ to want to die. Link thought of her own parents and how their lives were taken from them as hot tears fell from her eyes as she wept. She didn't want another child to lose their parent.

* * *

Teba yelled as he dodged from side to side, firing arrows. The moment Harth had left Medoh with the Champion and the Hylian, strange yellow eyes covered in malice had popped up around the furnace, protecting it from him getting any closer. Out of the top of the furnace, strange stal like enemies had appeared, heads of bokoblins, moblins and lizalfos that would chase him around Medoh and it was taking everything he had just to destroy them. They would only be destroyed in one hit, yet for every one he destroyed the malice would create two more. Now he was just trying to avoid them as he looked for a way forwards to get to the furnace, the yellow malice eyes locked onto him.

* * *

( _"Link."_ )

The Hylian gasped as she looked around, recognising that voice, "..Chi?" she asked out, hardly able to believe it. Kaneli looked around, looking for this person Link had mentioned but seeing nothing as he glanced back to her. Chi's voice seemed to reaffirm itself and Link touched her hand to her chest where that orb had entered her. Her chest was warm. Link shut her eyes and reappered in a dark void..

( _The Yiga monk was looking at her, her inverted face covering impassive as always as Link stepped forward, "What do I do? How am I supposed to get to Medoh to save Teba and clear the malice from Medoh? I can't fly like a Rito, I don't have a paraglider.. I don't even have the Sheikah slate right now."_

_Chi chuckled and Link looked at her, "Rune magic and those so called 'Sheikah slates'. Have we Sheikah really grown so dependent on such magic that we've forgotten our own natural magic? Even my own descendents rely on runes now, focusing it in their talismans instead of using the pure natural magic in their own bodies."_

_Link blinked as Chi paced around the void._

_"As for you Link, I think you've grown plenty strong enough now. You channeled the furnace energy so superbly through your own body earlier by the way in order to use stasis on Vah Medoh. You even gave that twin of mine a run for his rupees." Chi chuckled again and Link pressed her hand to her chest, still warm even here in the void._

_"Remember what you were told back in Korok Forest, Link." Chi continued, "When you awaken the Divine Beasts from their slumber and add their power to your own, things will become much clearer to you."_

_Link's hand tightened around her tunic. She.. understood. For once in her journey, she truly believed she understood and she looked up at Chi who nodded in response, "That's right, that power isn't just through the Sheikah slate. It's **your** power Link. You've gotten used to it, now make it your own!"_)

Link opened her eyes, and the blue glow enveloped not only her eyes, but covering her entire body and Kaneli gasped as a blue light shot out into the sky above the Hylian, piercing even the entire updraft. Link raised her hand, the blue glow shinging brightly as she begin writing in the very air itself strange ancient Sheikah language. Kaneli stepped back as even the wind itself from Medoh seemed to form into strange looked clouds, creating a staircase made of the very wind as Link began to ascend, climbing onto the clouds themselves as she walked upwards towards Medoh.

* * *

Ariane was wrapping bandages around Kass' injured wing when the blue light suddenly appeared out of seemingly nowhere, shooting off into the sky high above Hyrule, causing them all to look at the village. "Oh Goddess!" Traysi shrieked out, "What in all of Hyrule even _is_ that?!"

There were more and more Hylians crowding around the stable with each passing second, some having seen the insane winds even from Tabantha Village having come down to see what the commotion was about. Dorian wasn't paying attention to that, focused on the blue light from the landing.. and the Hylian he just barely could see on it. That blue light.. it could probably be seen from all of Hyrule. There's no way they couldn't see it even in Kurasa Valley. As he watched, Link began to walk up towards the Divine Beast and in his disguised form as the critter merchant Beedle, Dorian grit his teeth.

( _"The Divine Beasts?" Master Kohga asked, as he glanced at Dorian from his napping spot scratching his side a little and yawning. The leader of the Yiga Clan had his mask removed, and Dorian could see every scar on his old face. "What do you wanna know about those stuffy old things for? They're decrepit and busted. Haven't moved in a century since their Champions kicked the bucket."_

_"I think it would be best to learn as much about that ancient technology as I can." Dorian said, thankful his own mask was still on. The Yiga Clan's leader was way too informal. He prefered the anonymity of his mask, even if Kohga still knew it was him immediately. "They were designed to destroy our Great Calamity after all. If it ever came to it, I want to know how to destroy them."_

_Kohga scoffed, "'Destroy' the Divine Beasts, hoo boy Dorian, you've got some lofty goals there huh?" he scratched at his chin, "Still, can't really do it. There are only things only the leader of the Yiga Clan can know after all. You're still just a blademaster."_

_"..With all due respect, Master Kohga, we both know I'm not just any ordinary blademaster anymore." Kohga glanced up at Dorian, a blank look on his face, "And besides.. I was under the impression that the Divine Beasts didn't start out as the Calamity's destruction force they ended up becoming."_

_Kohga raised an eyebrow. "How did you.." then he chuckled, despite himself, "Ah man Dorian, I forget just how smart you are you know?" there was an impressed sound to his voice and again Dorian found himself grateful again that his mask hid his emotions from the other man._

_"It's a logical conclusion to make." Dorian continued, "That much power? The things they're capable of doing? There's no way the Divine Beasts started as just weapons."_

_"You're right, as usual." Kohga yawned, "The Divine Beast project created by our ancestors ten thousand years ago, it was just another way to amass power beyond what any mortal could possibly have. Why wouldn't that wretched Royal Family want to control even the elements itself? It was said that the Royal Family descended from the Gods." Kohga scoffed, "Dunno if I believe that myself, but maybe they believed their own hype that much and wanted to become so powerful that they could control nature itself. Maybe they just wanted to become like the very Gods they believed themselves to be descended from."_ )

The Yiga blademaster watched helplessly as Link seemingly controlled the very sky itself, climbing it as she ascended to the Divine Beast above them. That's right. Vah Ruta, with the ability to control water and even cause or stop downpours. Vah Rudania, it could stop.. or even cause an eruption on Death Mountain. Vah Medoh with its ability to cause huge gusts of wind or get rid of them. And Vah Naboris, with the power to create and control sandstorms. Any one of them alone with be an affront to the very nature and balance of Hyrule, but all four? Dorian wondered how that despicable Goddess hadn't smited their ancestors for challenging their power like that. Briefly, he wondered if perhaps they already _had_. Maybe that was why the Calamity was sent destory Hyrule.. perhaps it had been a divine intervention from the Gods themselves.

* * *

In Rito Village's inn, Revali gasped as he awoke suddenly and the Rito children around him gasped and cheered. His head spinning, Revali climbed out of the bed and was met with a group of Rito, none of whom he recognised. "Master Revali." the largest Rito spoke to him, bowing deeply, "It's an honour to finally meet you." Revali nodded sharply. His head was still spinning, he had no idea what was going on, but he could sense Medoh near him and it was clearly distressed. He had to get back to his Divine Beast.

"Where's my Great Eagle Bow?" he asked and a black feathered Rito approached him, "I'm sorry Master Revali, it's still on Medoh, I wasn't able to carry both of you."

" _Tsk_." Revali muttered, as he spotted the swallow bow in the Rito's hands, "Then can I use your bow for the time being?"

"You.. want to use my bow?" the Rito muttered, amazed, "O-of course! It would be an _honour_ Master Revali!" he handed the bow to the Rito Champion and Revali snatched it maybe a little too roughly as he headed out into the village and up towards the landing he remembered, with the Rito symbol on it. He was still woozy, he wouldn't be able to use his ability, Revali's Gale like this, but with some timely placed bomb arrows, he could at least part the updraft enough to get to Medoh. Ahead of him though, he could see a blue light and he squinted his green eyes towards it, "..What _is_ that?"

* * *

Teba yelled as one of the stal malice enemies almost grabbed him, launching an arrow directly as he dodged backwards, reaching for his quiver again for another arrow. Instead, he found no more arrows and he looked at his quiver in shock. No, _no_! He had had at least over one hundred and fifty arrows before he came aboard Medoh (he remembered painstakingly counting them all with Harth back at the Flight Range, while they waited for Kass' warrior) how had he used them all already? He was out of options. Putting his falcon bow away, Teba reached for the Sheikah slate, tapping the screen like he had seen the Hylian girl done. It didn't activate though and he banged the slate desperately as the stal enemies surrounded him, "Come on damn you, _work_!"

Teba looked up at the enemies and the furnace behind them. He didn't want to run, he wasn't that kind of Rito.. but as he looked down at the village and thought of his Saki and Tulin, he thought maybe he didn't really have a choice..

* * *

Revali dropped the swallow bow as he fell to his knees, his mind suddenly clear. He remembered. He remembered _everything_. How they were at Hyrule Castle, his argument with Link, the Calamity's attack, and how him Mipha and Daruk had fought their way through guardians to get to the sacntum.

He remembered arms of pure malice reaching out and grabbing the three of them before dragging them into the sanctum. How he had desperately tried to reach out to his fellow Champions even as he himself was consumed by the malice. How _painful_ it had been. He remembered Daruk trying to fight back, and he especially remembered Mipha's fearful yellow eyes as she had tried reaching out to him as well, even as she too was consumed by the malice. He remembered the overwhelming guilt and darkness that had consumed him afterwards, until he was placed into his altered furnace on Medoh. Not just to protect him, but also to protect _others_ from him.

Revali's beak felt heavy and he choked. Next to him, the black feathered Rito was approaching, "Master Revali, is everything ok--" the Rito jumped back in horror as Revali's beak opened, sickly red malice pouring it onto the wooden floor of the landing and over the swallow bow he had dropped.

Revali _remembered_.

( _He and Mipha were sparring together and Revali panted as he backed away a little. "Colour me surprised. I didn't suspect you would be able to corner me like this, Mipha." The Zora Princess just grinned as she clutched her trident, her sharp Zora shark little teeth visible in her grin. Despite himself, Revali couldn't help but shiver a little._

_In another memory, he was just outside the Princess' study. She had fallen asleep again, her head buried in her research notes. With one wing carrying a brown mug of warm milk, Revali sighed as he stepped forward into her research study, using his free wing to gently touch her shoulder, "Princess?"_

_Zelda startled as she awoke, looking over shoulder at the Rito, "Oh Revali, sorry, did I fall asleep?"_

_"Princess, you're exhausted." Revali said as he handed her the mug of warm milk, "You should really get some sleep in your own bed. Where's that Knight of yours, shouldn't he be taking care of you?"_

_Zelda pulled a face as she sipped the milk, "I told him not to bother me while I'm doing my research, so he's probably back at the Knight barracks training with his father."_

_Revali let out a small tsk of frustration. He disliked the Knight as much as the Princess did, but with this one task, he really shouldn't be shirking his duties like this, even if she had asked it of him, "I'll remember to give him a piece of my mind next time I see him."_

_Zelda let out a little giggle despite herself, before catching herself and taking on a more serious expression. "Please don't Revali. You're Champions, you should be working together, not arguing with each other."_

_Revali just sighed, but nodded, "..I will try Princess, for your sake. It's just.. so frustrating seeing him like that, when the rest of us work so hard," he glanced over at the Princess who was looking at her milk, contemplatively, ".. **especially** you.")_

That's right. The Princess had specifically asked him not to argue with Link, and he had gone against her wishes time and time again. Revali could feel the malice escaping his beak, and he wondered where Zelda was right now. Was she with her mother now? Was she watching over him? What would she think of him right now? He turned to the Rito who was watching him horrified as he choked out words, feeling the malice bubble in his throat, "Thats.. right.. the Princess.. died.. because.. of me.. so what.. happened.. truly is.. my fault.."

* * *

Teba grimaced as he clutched onto his falcon bow. The stal enemies were completely surrounding him from all directions. He couldn't even escape now. Still, as he clutched his bow, he knew he wouldn't allow himself to fall just like this. No, he would fight to the bitter end. He owed his family and his village that much at least. Raising the bow, Teba charged forwards into the enemies until he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Climbing onto Vah Medoh, covered in a bright blue glow that surrounded her entire body was the Hylian girl Link. All the enemies immediately locked onto her, recognising her as the most obvious threat as they rushed around her. Link didn't even look fazed, raising her hand as she wrote into the air ancient Sheikah language and arrows made of blue Sheikah energy formed in front of her, piercing each and every one of the stal enemies at once.

Teba watched stunned as the girl seemed to float over towards the furnace, the eyes locking onto her, but again, she wrote the same five ancient Sheikah letters as before (arrow, Teba realised with a start, those letters must mean arrow) as again arrows made of blue energy appeared, firing off and piercing the eyes, destroying them. Teba didn't know what to say, but he approached the girl anyway, wordlessly handing her the Sheikah slate.

Link looked at the Sheikah slate, then looked at Teba and the Rito could see even both of her entire eyes were glowing blue. He shivered but then Link spoke to him, "You need to attack the eyes Teba, not just the enemies spawning out of it." before when she had spoken to him back in Kaneli's hut, her voice sounded ethereal and not quite her own, but now her voice sounded normal. As if she hadn't just walked up the clouds like some sort of divine being to reach Medoh.

"I.. uh.." Teba was beyond stunned, not sure how to respond, "Sure, I'll remember that for next time." Link just stepped forward, not taking the Sheikah slate from Teba's hand as she wrote six more Sheikah letters in the air before tapping her blue glowing hand to the furnace itself. The malice seemed to let out a shriek as she did so, evaporating and pulling away from the furnace as Teba watched. He held onto the Sheikah slate with one wing as he watched the girl purify the malice from the furnace.

* * *

Back on the landing, Revali suddenly became aware of himself once more. He could feel their voices, Mipha and Daruk, calling out to him once more, and even Link's (the descendent and not his fellow Champion) as she purified the leftover malice in his spirit. The bubbling malice pouring from his throat seemed to disappear into streams of red light, and the relief poured through his mind before he collapsed forwards onto the landing, once more passing out.

Next to them, Harth watched as even the malice that had poured onto the landing and his swallow bow disappeared. He picked up the swallow bow, noting how strange it was. The bow was perfectly _fine_ , despite being covered in the stuff just now. Maybe.. it hadn't truly been malice at all? He looked at the passed out Rito Champion, thankful it all seemed to be over now anyway.

* * *

Beedle hummed as he looked over Medoh. The blue light was disappearing, and the violent winds surrounding Rito Village were dying down. It was time to leave then. Grabbing the beetle backpack that was part of his disguide, Dorian was thankful that the Hylians weren't paying him any attention as he moved to leave. He would get as far away from the stable as possible before dropping his disguise and teleporting to Kurasa Valley. Unfortunately for him though, there was one person in the stable who was watching over him, or.. rather a Rito.

As Beedle headed to the north east path he'd come from, he suddenly became aware of footsteps behind him and turned to see the Rito bard Kass watching over him. Dorian put his best impression of Beedle, "Ah sorry, I don't have the time to stay and chat right now, I really need to get going to Tabantha stable~ potential customers are always waiting for me~"

"Really?" Kass said, and there was a certain tone to his voice that told Dorian the Rito wasn't buying it for a second, "See, the Beedle I know wouldn't come back to a stable when he had already left for anything. Nothing stops him, not even the _blood moon_." Dorian couldn't help but shiver a little as Kass mentioned the blood moon. He really had picked the wrong disguise when he came here, but he wasn't expecting Kass of all people to end up in the stable. The Rito bard was probably the second most profilic Hyrulean who hung around the stable system, so he knew a lot of the usual patrons of them. "Yeah but didn't you hear? What whatever that was the mosnters around here were more aggressive then usual."

"Yes but.." Kass stepped forward towards Dorian and he glanced in front towards the Hylians who were still overlooking Medoh, "I suppose you wouldn't know this, but Beedle has on a special set of masks made from monster parts and scents. He got them from a Hylian called Kilton." Oh. Oh _no_. "But I suppose you wouldn't know that. Kilton doesn't sell to Yiga members after all."

Dorian dropped the sing-songy Beedle impression as he looked up at Kass, narrowing his eyes a little, "What do you want with me _bard_?" he couldn't drop his disguise. There were too many Hylians around. Even with the Hero's presence now announced to the whole of Hyrule, he couldn't allow the Yiga to know that he was here too. They would wonder why he hadn't done something. They would ask questions about his excersions over the last few months.

"You're Dorian aren't you?" Kass asked quietly, "Kiyah's husband? Koko and Cottla's father?"

Dorian scoffed, "'Husband' is a bit much don't you think? Kiyah's Sheikah, I'm Yiga, it's not like we could get properly married with a grand ceremony and a proper Priest."

"That's beside the point." Kass glanced up at Medoh, "I've spoken to Kiyah back in Kakariko Village. And I want to know, what are you _doing_ here? Why have you been following around Link that first month of her journey, disguising yourself as random Hylians to gain her trust? And why did you go to Lurelin Village and ask about her?" Dorian's eyes narrowed further at the Rito bard who continued, "But more then any of that I want to know.." Kass looked at him, "Why has it only been you following Link?"

"..Pardon?"

"I know how you Yiga work. You should have revealed her identity the moment you met her back in Kakariko, but no other Yiga have come after her. Only you. Which means, you never revealed her to the rest of your clan."

Dorian laughed lowly, "..Clever. You must realise the prediciment I'm in don't you Rito bard? A Yiga having a Sheikah family, if the clan found out about them I'd be in big trouble. I can't allow that to happen. It's better for me to keep this whole thing a secret."

"So again, why follow after her in the first place?" Dorian's eyes narrowed even further as he practically glared at the Rito, "Surely it would have been better to just stay in Gerudo territory and keep to your own business instead of hopping around all of Hyrule, keeping watch over her." Kass held onto his bandaged wings, "If I didn't know better regarding you Yiga, I'd almost think you were trying to _protect_ her just as I am."

"Watch yourself bard." Dorian hissed lowly, "Why would I try to protect my clan's enemy?"

"Again, if you truly thought that way, why not tell the clan about her?" Kass shrugged a little, "See why I'm so confused Dorian, it's like a paradox, everything you _do_ doesn't make sense. You say you're trying to protect your family, but you risk them every time you chase Link around Hyrule, and you say she's your enemy but you haven't told anyone in the clan about her."

Dorian grit his teeth in his disguised form and Kass though it looked very silly, seeing such an angry expression on Beedle's face. Kass suddenly pulled out a letter from his bag, thankful the letters at least hadn't fallen out when his instrument had, handing it towards the now confused looking disguised Yiga.

"..What's this?"

"A letter from Kiyah.. for you." Dorian's heart sank a little seeing it, and he looked up at the bard's face. "After we met up and spoke in Kakariko about Link, she wanted to write you a letter even though I told her it was unlikely I was going to actually see you."

"I can't take that, you realise that right?" He had to stay impartial. He had to stay _impartial_. If this entire plan was going to work, Dorian had to, he just _had to_. He couldn't let himself slip, not even once.

Kass sighed as he put away the letter, "Kiyah told me about you, you know. How you struggled with your Yiga history back in Kakariko every day. How you deeply loved your first daughter Koko and how much it seemingly pained you to leave when Kiyah was pregnant with your second." Dorian clenched his fists together, "It makes sense, knowing what I know about the Yiga Clan." Dorian could feel the blood in his veins seemingly getting colder. Please, please stop talking about this, he practically pleaded in his mind towards the Rito. He wanted to escape so badly, to just teleport and leave this situation, but Dorian found his feet frozen to the ground. "You Yiga who were born in the clan by blood, you don't have traditional families do you? You have parents, sure, but you're not raised by them. You've likely never even _met_ your parents. When you're born you're handed over to specialists who raise a bunch of you children together until you're of age."

"Trainees." Dorian said quietly, despite himself.

"Hm?"

"Yiga don't call their kids _children_. They call them _trainees_."

"That's quite sad." Kass muttered, and Dorian couldn't help but agree.

"How do you know all this anyway?" Dorian asked quietly.

"You think you're the only Yiga who's ever defected? There were many others before you, and there will be many other after you. Yiga who discover a life outside that death cult, cling to their new lives so desperately. After being raised in the cult without any kind of love and affection, its only natural after all." Kass cocked his head a little, "Can't say I've ever heard of a Yiga defecting and then rejoining the clan though. You might be the first and only one to do so."

"Don't act as if we don't have converts too." Dorian spat, suddenly feeling the need to defend his clan, despite himself, "Outcasts, outsiders, people who feel like they don't belong in Hyrule's light. Mostly Hylians, even a few Gerudo too although they're extrodinarily rare." Dorian laughed suddenly, "We even have one of _your_ kind with us too."

Kass sighed, "I'm aware. Kitt. He was a gifted child, not as good as our Teba, but gifted enough that it affected him. It was probably boredom more then anything that led him to your clan. But enough about all of that." he looked at Dorian sympathetically, "You know you don't have to stay with the Yiga.. right?" Dorian practically glared at that Rito, "I know the Sheikah were quite hurt when you left, but.. I also know they would take you back again, if you came willingly."

"I'm not leaving the Yiga." Dorian spat, "They're all I've ever known. Kiyah understands that, even if she doesn't want to believe it." he turned on his feet, glaring at the Rito bard with hatred in his eyes, "Don't follow me. It will end up badly for you, _Kass_. You may know a lot about me, but trust me, I know much more about _you_. And I know about your teacher too, and the family he came from."

"I am aware." Kass said softly. "Of much more then you realise. Also you do understand I will be telling Link about this encounter."

"Do what you want." Dorian spat, "Although you really have no business talking to me about _secrets_ bard, considering what you've hid from her all this time."

Kass looked guilty at that, as he thought about the expression on Link's face earlier at Kaneli's hut after she had revealed that she had learned about her past, and he had also inadvertently revealed that he had known all this time and Dorian couldn't help but grin at the look on his face. "How sad for you Kass. The Rito wanderer who holds onto all the secrets of Hyrule and can't reveal them to anyone." Dorian couldn't help but prod a little deeper, "You and I are a lot more alike then you realise Kass. We've both been pulled away from our families after all. What's your plan bard? To finish your teacher's unfinished song? And what, you'll be content with just that?"

There was a look of delirious glee in the disguised Yiga's eyes and as Kass looked at him, he wondered then, just how much of the Yiga's death cult stuff Dorian truly believed. Right now, he looked more like a cultist then ever, despite Kiyah's insistence that he didn't believe in that nonsense, "But me? I have a _plan_. I'm working for something much greater then any of you could possibly imagine. But I'm not doing it for glory or fame, I would be very happy in fact if you all completely forgot about me, and pass that message onto dear Kiyah as well next time you're in Kakariko why don't you?" Dorian grinned widely, "Just you wait and see Rito, for what I have planned for Hyrule." and as Kass watched helplessly, the Yiga blademaster walked off heading under the northern bridge leading to Kolami bridge before disappearing underneath it.


	18. Royal White Stallion / Coliseum Ruins

As Link crossed over Jeddo Bridge and towards Nima Plains, she paused to look at Hyrule Castle in the distance. This was the closest she had ever been to the castle and she watched as the red malice swirled around it. She could feel the Sheikah slate humming from it's place, now proudly shown out in the open on her belt and glanced down at it as the voice spoke to her from it.

( _"Do you honestly think you're ready for the castle? Have you really grown that arrogant Hero?"_ )

There was a bitter sounding feeling coming the voice. They had been icy with each other for a while now, now that Link herself was in control of the relationship between them.. and the slate's power. "I'm not arrogant." Link retorted, "But, to answer your question: yeah. I think I am more then capable." Link walked over the bridge as she looked to Sanidin Park in the distance. "Don't worry though, I won't be going there until I've freed Urbosa first."

( _"That's good. I don't think you would like what you would find in the castle if you went there now."_ )

"Oh really?" Link looked at the slate, "Then why don't you tell me, since we're talking about hypotheticals and all."

( _"You know I'm not going to do that Li-- **Hero**."_)

"Oh, you almost broke character there."

When Link had first left Rito Village about a week after freeing Medoh, she had been surprised when a group of Hylians had showed up to escort her wherever she needed to go. She had later found out that a Hylian journalist named Traysi (Link had known about her! She was from the popular publication Super Rumour Mill after all) had published a report about what happened up in Rito Village. Link had later found a publication herself in Tabantha Stable, a painted portrait of herself and the three rescued Champions, Mipha, Daruk and Revali covering it with the titles 'The Legendary Champions of Hyrule's Divine Beasts are alive!' and 'Who is the mysterious Hero who holds the Legendary Blade and a Sheikah Slate?'. It was the most sold publication of Traysi's _ever_.

Link had grit her teeth as she read the the publication from cover to cover. It was mostly hearsy and rumours, Traysi's other journalist friends had tried to get interviews from Zora's Domain, Goron City and Rito Village, but had been turned away just shy of meeting the Champions. But with Traysi's own personal account of what happened at Rito Village, the evidence was _damning_. Everyone in Hyrule now knew about her, but thankfully there weren't much details about her past actually revealed, including where she had come from. She was grateful for that. Maybe that would mean that her home village, Lurelin, would be safe. In the picture on Traysi's publication, for some reason they had painted her wearing the same Champion tunic as her ancestor, and so that too gave her a little flexibility. People were expecting her to wear that, and not any of one of the three clothing options she had, the soldier's armour, stealth gear and snowquill clothing. Unfortunately that also meant she couldn't really use her beloved lobster shirt when she rested in inns and stables anymore, as it was almost identical in colour to the Champion's clothing and people would instantly recognise her.

Still, Link had thought as she was followed around the group of Hylians (who thankfully none of them were Yiga) from Rito Stable all the way to the three way crossing leading back to the Breach of Demise, it wasn't all _too_ bad. There was greater strength in numbers after all, and it had certainly come in handy sometime after they had left Tabantha Stable and headed east past Seres Scablands. She still remembered it vividly, when she had spotted the Yiga footsoldier in their disguise magic waving specifically at her to come closer. One of the Hylians in their groups had started to walk to the Yiga footsoldier, but Link hurriedly grabbed the Hylians hand, pulling them back, her eyes narrowed at the Yiga footsoldier.

"What's wrong?" the Yiga footsoldier had spoken to her, "I just wanna talk, maybe I could join that little group of yours and we can go travelling together!"

"I'm not stupid." Link had retorted, her eyes were still green, but she didn't need to activate that state anymore to see right past the Yiga magic. "I know you're Yiga."

All the Hylians in the group had immediately pulled out their weapons, taking defensive positions around the Hero as they protected her. The Yiga footsoldier's eyes narrowed as they had glared at the Hero, but they made no move to attack. They were widely outnumbered.

"You can't stay in that little group forever Hero." the footsoldier had said with a quiet voice, "You'll have to seperate evantually, and when you do, we'll come after you." the footsoldier had teleported away and Link let out a sigh of relief as the group relaxed. One of the Hylians laughed though, "Heh, I think they'd need a whole army to even _think_ about taking you on Link."

"That's right." another nodded and they looked at Link with such reverance in their eyes that it actually made Link a little queasy, " _Especially_ with what you did back there before Tabantha Great Bridge."

Ah.. yes. As Link continued her path down towards Sanidin, she glanced at the Sheikah slate. As they had been coming down towards the Tabantha Great Bridge, the group was frozen in their tracks. In front of them were two guardian skywatchers. In another time, just four months ago, just seeing those guardians glowing red with the Calamity's influence would have sent her into shock and caused her to be paralyzed with fear (a few of the Hylians around her did just that, holding onto their heads as they trembled heavily looking at the path ahead of them in fear as the skywatchers patrolled the area).

Now as she had looked at the guardians back then, Link found she wasn't afraid at all. Instead, she had taken the Sheikah slate, channeling the power of the three furnaces through it and herself as she had written the same magic onto the screen of the slate as she had before back at Rito Village, calling the updrafts that Medoh could make to her as she climbed the sky towards the two skywatchers. When she was right in front of the skywatchers, the two had finally noticed her as they turned to face her, their lasers focused on her alone, but it was already too late. She had used stasis to freeze them, dropping down on the raised platform between Piper Ridge and the Ancient Columns before writing another six Ancient Sheikah letters into the screen: **PURIFY** before tapping the screen and reaching her hands out, touching both guardians skywatchers at once before releasing stasis. The two guardian skywatchers had seemingly shuddered, their lasers blinking on and off before the red light powering them disappeared completely, regaining their seemingly natural orange glow.

Link had hurried back to the Hylian group who were staring at her in awe, "That's.. amazing!!" they had cried out, but Link had just told them to hurry them along. The guardians were different from the Divine Beasts. Purification for them would be a temporary thing after all. As the group had rushed over Great Tabantha Bridge, Link's suspicions were confirmed correct as the two guardian skywatchers behind her shuddered again, before being completely taken over again by the Calamity, their orange glow turning back to that sickly red.

Still, the group had continued forwards, resting at Tabantha Stable before heading east past Seres Scablands and south to West Hyrule Plains. As they had finally reached Jeddo Bridge, Link had looked back to her strange party of followers and figured it was time to seperate. The Hylians had looked at her seemingly heartbroken, "But you need to go all the way to Gerudo Canyon Stable, don't you? That's so far away, it'll take days on foot!"

"Yes, but I'm quite capable of getting there myself." Link had dropped the backpack she had been carrying back in Tabantha Stable, finding that she didn't need it anymore with the Sheikah slate out in the open like this, its presence locked on her belt, and she pressed her hand to the screen. "Don't you all live in Tabantha Village and the other settlements around Hebra and Hyrule Ridge? You're getting further and further away from your homes with each passing moment."

The Hylians had looked at each other and some looked unsure, but in the end they had agreed to part ways, returning to their home settlements as Link followed on the path to Outskirt Stable alone. As she stepped onto the steps leading to the Sanidin Park monument, Link looked at the horse statue and wondered what all the people she had met on her journey before she reached Rito Village had been thinking when they read Traysi's article. She winced a little, thinking of Rozel's daughter Ralera in Hateno. Would she have been upset that she was lied about her grandmother's condition? Also, Lurelin Village in general. Rozel and the others.. what would they have thought, seeing her portrait in that publication? Then there was the villagers in Kakariko who hadn't been in the know how, who had yet been so concerned about her. She thought of her her father's childhood friend Bolson. And the travellers she had passed in Akkala before reaching the southern stable. Would any of them had recognised her as the small girl wearing the Hyrulean soldier's armour? Oh.. and speaking of the Hyrulean army, she wondered what was going through their minds right now. She touched her fingers to the horse statue as she thought of Suzuna too, who had pulled her from Lake Hylia, who's horse had been caught in the very plains she was in now.

A horse.. Link's head turned and she spotted a group of them just behind her in the Nima Plains. With a horse, she would get to Gerudo Canyon Stable in no time at all.

( _"Kass left?" Link had asked as she looked up at Amali, the day after Medoh as she looked up from her bed in the inn where she had been resting, barely able to raise her head from how exhausted she was. The events of yesterday, chanelling the power of the furnaces through her own Hylian body instead of the Sheikah slate had taken a lot out of her, and she was thankful that she had the Sheikah slate back from Teba now, as it lay on the bedside table next to her. It would be a lot easer to continue to chanel the power through the slate instead of her own body. "Wasn't he injured because of Medoh? He shouldn't really be leaving so quickly."_

_Amali nodded and there was a sad expression on her face, "I told him he shouldn't go until he was fully healed, but he said he was healed enough to fly, so he left for Kakariko this morning. But he said he'll meet up with you next at Gerudo Canyon Stable." The Hylian girl and the Rito woman glanced to the bed next to Link's where the Rito Champion Revali was still asleep. Pulling himself free of the malice without Link's/the Sheikah slate's direct influence through the furnace had altered him somehow. He was able to completely remember the entire time he possessed by the Calamity, when neither Mipha and Daruk could not and the memories of those events had affected him greatly._

_When the Rito awoke occasionally, struggling in fits in his bed, it reminded Link of what she had been told how she had been in those days following Ruta in Zora's Domain, and her heart hurt as she watched him struggle._

_In the days that followed, Mipha had come to visit with Daruk in tow. With Ruta's power, she was able to traverse in the waters of Hyrule much quicker then any of the Divine Beasts, except for possibly Medoh itself with it's ability to fly over the sky, and now that the whole of Hyrule knew about them they could move around in the open without having to keep it a secret. She had moved Ruta to Cephia Lake between Akkala and Eldin to pick up Daruk, before travelling Ruta through the waters of Hyrule all the way to Lake Totori, raising up from the waters._

_Link had waved at them from her bed, just barely able to lift a hand, and Mipha had scolded her terribly for exhausting herself yet again. "And this.." Mipha had said, placing her small red Zora hand to her growing longer by the day hair, where a good chunk, at least.. about one eighth of it had now turned pale white, right from the roots itself. "Is this because of us?"_

_"It's fine." Link had said, patting the hair down, "It's just hair after all, it doesn't matter whether it's blonde or white."_

_Revali had evantually woken up, and he had looked over at his fellow Champions, a look of pure exhaustion in his green Rito eyes, with the top of the duvet over his beak as Daruk let out a laugh, patting the Rito Champion on the top of his head feathers. "Knew you had it in you, Revali." Surprisingly, Revali had not objected. Daruk had wanted to give the Rito a big old hug like he had Mipha back at Skull Lake, but he didn't think the Rito could handle it at the moment, with how he could barely move. Revali, however, had his eyes focused on the Zora Princess who was watching him with her hands clasped over her mouth. "Mipha.." he had muttered and there was a guilty sounding tone from his voice._

_Link, who was getting better every day, had hurriedly excused herself, as had the the inn keeper Cecili, leaving the three Champions alone in the inn to talk amongst themselves. Sometime after, Mipha and Daruk had left Rito Village and Link could still remember the expression on Mipha's face, how ragged and swollen with tears her eyes had looked, even though she had smiled as she had said goodbye to Link. She could only guess what Revali had told her. About what had happened to them obviously as neither Mipha or Daruk could remember it. About Link being in the sanctum when the Calamity attacked, and how it was unlikely he would have survived? (Even as she grasped the Sheikah slate with the blade that seals the darkness stored into it and knew there was a slim chance that could be wrong.) She had dearly hoped Revali hadn't told her about the argument, or at the very least, not mentioned Link had seemingly known about her feelings. That seemed far too cruel._ )

Link replaced her soldier's armour with the Sheikah stealth gear, perfect for sneaking up on any kind of critters of Hyrule, taking the two sticks she had never used before, wrapping up her longer hair and pushing them into the bun to hold it in place, she watched the group of horses placing her hands on the little fountain behind the horse statue. There was a half and half blue horse in the group that her caught her attention, and reminded her both of Firly, Kiyah's horse and Nima, Suzana's horse, but a sudden loud neighing noise startled the group of horses and they broke off into a trot, heading further south down the plains. Link turned to where the noise came from, and just spotted it. Just behind Sanidin Park, there a horse unlike any other she had seen in Hyrule. The horse's coat was pure white, his hooves jet black, and his mane a light yellow. As Link looked at the white coat, unconsciously she pressed her hand to her hair and the white colour it was slowly becoming. They.. they were the same.

Looking at the horse, Link knew in her heart she had to have that one. There was something _drawing_ her to it, and not just because of her hair. Strangely, there was something.. familiar about it, despite the fact that she had never seen that horse before now. As the white horse went back to grazing on the grass, Link slowly walked up behind it, thankful every day that Kiyah had bought her this almost 2000 rupees stealth gear set so early on in her journey when she had struggling even to pay for an night's rest at the inn. Carefully, she pressed one hand outwards to the white coat, getting ready to launch herself on the horse, but the horse's head suddenly darted up, looking directly behind at her, and she let out a little yelp as she jumped back, before the horse kicked out its legs. Had Link not moved so quickly, she would have been kicked back by his strong hind legs, and she watched as the horse darted off in front of her towards a large tree. That horse was good. She was wearing stealth armour that made her footsteps quiet, but he had still noticed her. Looking at the distance between them, she glanced up at the tree as another plan came to her.

Link went back to the path, looking disinterested as she followed the path back towards Safula Hill. The white horse watched her every step as it trotted along just behind the large tree. Link continued on down the path past the tree, keeping her attention off the horse as it disappeared, before carefully moving her body behind the tree, hiding behind it. She waited a few moments, until she heard the horse start to graze on the grass again, and Link grit her teeth a little in concentration as she climbed the tree in front of her. Reaching the top of it, Link looked down hidden from her place among the branches at the white horse. She'd have to leap pretty far, but she was sure she could make it. Standing up, Link carefully stepped out onto the thickest branch, before leaping from the tree. As she got closer though, the horse's head shot up again and he pulled himself up on his hind legs, flailing as it ran off again. Link yelled out as she curled her body up into a ball, rolling onto the grass before coming to a full stop.

Pushing the mask of the stealth gear down, she looked up at the white horse as it watched her on the grass from a distance. "You're mocking me, aren't you?" The white horse just huffed a little at her, before trotting off back towards Sanidin Park. "Oh, to Calamity with this." Link groaned out, pressing her face down into the grass. Link felt like this was a daily occurance for that horse, that many others before her had tried to capture it before now and failed. Still, that just made her more determined that she would be the finally be the one to capture it. Feeling the Sheikah slate hum from it's place on her belt, Link wondered if stasis could be used on horses. It was worth a shot, as she was out of ideas. That horse really was just too good. Still, she thought of Malanya the Horse God back in Faron and apolgoised a little internally. It's okay, stasis didn't hurt the people she used it on, if would only hurt if you stored kinetic energy inside the stasis and then they shot off, hitting something on the way down thanks to the gravity. 

Taking the Sheikah slate, Link jumped back up, vigour returned to her. "Let's hope this works then." She quickly held the slate out in front of her, tapping on the stasis rune, and the white horse froze in place. Link couldn't help but felt a little gleeful (and maybe a little guilty at the panic frozen on the horse's face as she hurriedly rushed over to it). "Sorry horsey." she muttered, and Link placed one hand out to it, not actually touching the horse or the stasis would have been released, before glancing around. Placing the Sheikah slate back on her belt, she climbed onto the wall of Sanidin Park just behind them, then leapt off onto the white horse's back. As her body hit the horse's, the stasis released and the horse began to frantically buck, trying to get her off. Link clung to the mane with one hand for dear life, as she reached out to his neck with her other hand, petting him to try and calm the horse down. Still, the horse was beyond stubborn as it tried to buck her off, "Come on!" Link cried out, "I've taken on three Divine Beasts, how is this one horse so hard to control?" and despite herself, Link's eyes flashed to their blue state as she continued to cling to the mane. As her eyes changed colour though, the horse seemed to still for a moment as Link continued to pet him, before finally coming to a halt. Link released the breath she had holding as her body slumped forwards on the horse, still holding onto his mane.

She had done it. After all these months, Link finally had a horse of her own. And he was such a beautiful horse too. She petted the long mane as she carefully set him onto the path, pulling out the Sheikah slate and looking at the map. Outskirt stable was just one bridge away, she'd probably get there in about fifteen to twenty minutes, if even that and she tapped her heels to the side of the horse as it started to gallop off following the path to the Stable.

\---

In the Outskirt Stable, the stable keeper Embry sighed as he looked out amongst the barren path in front of the stable. Why did it have to be him in charge of the Outskirt Stable anyway? No-one wanted the Central Hyrule stables. They were far too dangerous. Blood moons were especially a nightmare here in Central Hyrule. All they could do was completely shutter the entire stable and hope for the best. Embry remembered a time when he'd heard screaming from outside one particuarly bad blood moon, but they had already shuttered the stable and couldn't open it for nothing. He had to protect his patrons that had already made it before the night struck after all, even as the guilt had wracked through him and his patrons had trembled with the screams outside. That place didn't help too, Embry thought as he looked up at the towering Coliseum Ruins shadowing the stable in the distance. Still, at least he had Canni who worked with the horses as well as Trott and Toffa his employees. They made things a little more bearable around here. As Embry heard a horse's gallop in the distance approaching the stable, Embry didn't even think twice to look up. Why would anyone want to stay here anyway?

It wasn't until he heard Toffa gasp out, "I.. I don't believe it!" and little murmurs from his other employees, before he looked up. His eyes grew wide, as he saw the white stallion his patrons had mentioned many times gallop right into his stable. Next to him, the elderly Toffa stepped forwards, "You caught the white horse, you actually caught it?!"

Embry then noticed the Hylian wearing Sheikah stealth gear as she climbed off the horse and approached him, dropping a red rupee onto his little table. "Can I register this horse please?"

"O-of course." Embry stammered, taking the red rupee as he brought out the paperwork for a new horse, "I'll need your name, home settlement and the name of the horse, then we can get your new horse fitted for a bridle and saddle." the Hylian eyed the paper and chewed her lip a little, before writing 'Link' and 'Kakariko Village' with the ink pen he had given her.

"You're from Kakariko?" the tired looking Hylian Trott asked as he yawned, "You don't look like a Sheikah. But then again.." he eyed the white locks of hair on her head, "maybe some of your ancestors were?"

The Hylian girl, Link, laughed, "Something like that, yeah."

"Oh, oh, _please_ tell me you came with a good name for him." Toffa spoke out, his eyes still on the white horse.

"Hm.." Link pondered, "I was thinking of Nima, like the Nima Plains he was caught in." (Toffa spluttered a little "That's too common of a name for such a rare horse like him!") But Link continued, "But a friend of mine has a horse called Nima, and I didn't want to have him have the same name." Link reached out, patting the horse's muzzle as it snorted a little, "He was so wild, almost like a thunderstorm.." she looked back at the paperwork, as she wrote on it, "So I decided, his name would be 'Storm'."

Toffa looked so happy at that, "That's perfect! We see so many horses come through here, and they're always named after the place they were caught at, it's a Hylian tradition after all, but a special horse like the descendent of the royal white stallion needs a special name!"

"Ah.." Link turned him, surprise in her green eyes, "sorry, did you say 'royal'?"

"Correct!" Toffa puffed out his chest, "My grandfather told me how, back in the day, he saw the Princess of the Royal Family, Princess Zelda herself, riding on a beautiful pure white horse." Toffa looked at the horse, and there was such happiness in his eyes, "I had always wanted to see it for myself, so when our patrons started mentioning that a new white horse had appeared not too far from the stable, I got my hopes up.. but no-one was able to capture it." Toffa sighed, "I'd almost give up hope that anyone would be able to capture it, but somehow you've managed it, and even brought that horse to our stable!" Toffa laughed, "But I guess that was obvious, we are the closest stable after all." Toffa clasped his hands together and shut his eyes, "Staying alive in this godforsaken land may have just been worth it after all, getting to see the grandchild of the Royal Family's horse." Link looked down as Canni approached them carrying a traveler's bridle and saddle in her hands.

"Canni, no!" Toffa scolded at the Hylian woman, as he rushed into the stable. "A special horse like this needs a special saddle and bridle, and I have just the thing!" there was a sound of rummaging from inside the stable, until Toffa reappeared, carrying a special saddle and bridle. The reins of the bridle were purple and the saddle was covered in multiple gold Royal Crests.

"Oh wow.." Canni gasped, "I had no idea you had those Toffa! They're so pretty, where did you even get them from?"

Embry and Trott just looked at each other and it appeared they had the same thought: "They're extrmemely gaudy." Trott yawned and Embry nodded, "Toffa, the kid's gonna stick out like a sore thumb. It's like she would be begging the Yiga Clan to ambush her."

Link winced a little as she seemed to clutch something on her belt, but Toffa glared at them, "Hush all of you." he handed the bridle and saddle Canni who took them along with the horse, "And Canni, have the horse's mane styled in the braided way too, alright? That was the style the Princess' horse had all those years ago."

\---

Later as Link lay down in one of the stable beds, looking at the Sheikah slate, she sighed. She had been so happy finally catching her own horse, but it seemed like destiny had chosen for her path for her yet again. The further along in this journey she was getting, those feelings were building up in her more and more so. She didn't even notice a Hylian approaching her bed, until they were right there.

Link looked up, sharply glancing at the Hylian girl. "Ah sorry, I didn't wanna say anything earlier when you were registering your horse with the others but.." she spoke quietly, "You're the Legendary Hero, aren't you? The one mentioned in Traysi's report?"

Link looked directly at the girl, focusing her power, but it was just a Hylian woman, no true Yiga form imposed on a diguised form. ( _When did I get so paranoid?_ Link wondered to herself as she relaxed.) She nodded sharply, and the girl beamed, "I knew it. I thought I recognised you, even though that portrait of you in Traysi's report had a full head of blonde hair."

Link touched the white locks, "The white hair is new. That Traysi lady only had reports of me to go off of from people who have met me while I've been journeying." she had to get her soldier's armour back on her as soon as possible, the helmet was good at hiding the white hair. "Don't go telling people I'm here though, alright? I'm trying to keep a low profile."

"Yeah, I understand." the Hylian sat down on the bed next to her, "I'm Aliza by the way. Ever since that report came out, I've been waiting here hoping I'd get a chance to meet you, since I figured you were traveling between Rito Village and Gerudo Town." Link raised an eyebrow as Aliza continued. "Well it makes sense right? You've been to Zora's Domain, Goron City and Rito Village, only Gerudo Town is left right?"

Link sighed. "Guess so. Didn't think any average Hylian would know that much though. If I didn't already know you're not Yiga, I'd be panicking pretty bad right now." Aliza laughed, "Sorry.. hope I didn't startle you. It's true though, we didn't really know that much about the Legendary Champions of a century ago, until Traysi's report came out. It mentioned there was a Gerudo Champion too, but they weren't in that portrait."

Suddenly a look of excitement came onto her face, "Um.. anyway, Link, I was wondering.. the report said you have that Legendary Sword on you.. is that true?" Link looked around the interior of the stable. There was only the two of them inside, all the people who worked in the stable were still outside taking care of Storm's registration, and it appeared there were no merchants who travelled here, even Beedle who she had heard had left for Kara Kara Bazaar a while back. She looked up towards the excited looking Hylian and nodded sharply. Aliza let out a little shriek of excitement, before hurriedly covering her mouth, looking around and making sure none of the stable workers had heard her.

"Sorry!" she pulled her hands away from her mouth, "But.. can I see it?"

Link shrugged a little. Yeah, sure, why not, what harm could it do anyway. It's not like this whole thing was a secret anymore, and the girl clearly wasn't a threat. She'd already made one Hylian's dream come true today, so why not two? Link sat up on the bed as she tapped on the Sheikah slate, bringing up the storage system as she pulled out the blade from it, still in it's scabbard. Link then pulled the hilt of the blade, pulling the blade itself out of the scabbard and Aliza's eyes lit up as she saw the light blue blade with the majestic dark blue hilt, "Oh.. oh _wow_. It's even more amazing then I ever thought it would be."

Aliza looked at Link, and there was a grateful sincere look in her eyes. Link felt a little queasy, ( _Please, don't look at me like that.._ ) but pushed the feelings down. She should be feeling happy that she was inspiring so many people. "..Thanks for showing me that. Traysi's report didn't talk about you much, but meeting you now, I can tell how much you've struggled so far. You're on a quest aren't you, to save our fair land of Hyrule."

Link nodded as she placed the blade, the scabbard and the slate down onto the bed next to her. With each passing day, as she looked into the eyes of people who had been without hope for so long, now beginning to regain their hope as they looked towards her, Link felt like she was beginning to understand her ancestor more and more so, and unconsciously she lifted her hand to her throat, rubbing it.

"I've got something for you for showing me that Legendary Blade." Link looked up at Aliza rummaged around, before bringing out an odd yellow glowing.. _something_. Link didn't even know what it was, but somehow she was reminded of watching shooting stars with her parents when she little. "I found this a while back." Aliza continued, "I saw a shooting star crash to the ground just outside my home village and found this where it landed. I'm told its called a Star Fragment. They're supposed to be extrodanarily rare."

Link blanched, looking up at the Hylian with a desperate look in her eyes, "I.. I can't.."

"Please, I insist." Aliza placed the glowing Star Fragment in her hands, and it seemed to glow a little brighter in her own hands. "I don't even know what it could possibly be used for, I have no need for it, but who knows, maybe it'll come in handy for you on your journey."

Looking at the Star Fragment, Link was suddenly reminded of the three Dragon Scales gifted to her by the Dragons Naydra, Dinraal and Farosh still stored in her slate, and how they had shone so brightly when they had fallen, just like this Star Fragment was now. There was something telling her to take it, and she sighed. Who was she to deny fate at this point. She looked up at Aliza tiredly, "..Thank you." and the Hylian lady beamed as she stored the Star Fragment into the slate. Link reached for the blade, to put it back into the scabbard and store it back into the slate, when suddenly, it began to glow a bright blue.

Next to her Aliza gasped, "Wow.. it's even more pretty now.." but Link was immediately on alert. The sword only did that when it was near those possessed by the Calamity, like the guardians and the malice infused Champions. Tapping the slate, she replaced her stealth gear with her soldier's armour and equipped the sword on her back, bringing out Robbie's Ancient Shield and Bow, turning to Aliza. "Stay in the stable, I don't know what's going on, but I can tell you it's not safe." before rushing outside and looked around, raising the the blade up high defensively in front of her. The stable employees glanced at her.

"Is everything alright Link?" and Toffa gasped out, "That.. that sword!"

Link didn't pay them any attention, she couldn't see anything and yet.. there was a Hylian running towards the stable from the south. He was soaked to the bone, water dripping from his clothing, as if he had swam through Aquame Lake instead of coming around on the path.

"Hey, Dai." Embry called out to the Hylian as he rushed to the stable, "What's wrong with you?"

"L.. ly.." The Hylian, Dai, who wore thick Hylian clothing and had long brown hair panted as he struggled to breathe.

"Dai." Embry spoke firmly, an abjact feeling of horror coming through all the Hylians at the stable, "What did you _do_?"

"It wasn't me!!" Dai yelled as he looked up, absolute terror on his face, as he looked behind him, "It's the lynel from Coliseum Ruins, it's coming this way!"

"Oh. Oh goddess no." Trott fell to his knees as he began to shake, "This is it, isn't it? There's no way we're survivng this."

Link looked at all the Hylians. "All of you get inside the stable this instant."

Embry stared at her, "You.. you can't be serious, you're just a kid. No-one has survived a lynel attack since a century ago, only the Hyrulean army could take one out now."

"Don't argue with me!" Link snapped. She was so.. _so_ tired of people saying she was just a kid. "Just get inside the stable and shutter it up!"

Toffa tugged on Embry's sleeve, "Embry.. look at the _sword_."

Embry looked at the sword the girl was carrying. It almost looked like the sword mentioned in Traysi's newest report, but that couldn't be right. Traysi's reports were called the 'Super Rumour Mill' after all. They were rumours. They couldn't possibly be true. As he looked at the girl though, wearing Hyrulean soldier's armour (when had she been wearing that? hadn't she been wearing Sheikah stealth gear before?), carrying a blade that was almost as big as her, as well as those odd blue glowing bow and shield.. and she had even managed to tame the royal white horse that no-one had managed to get before.. Embry began to shiver a little, but he nodded despite himself.

"Alright, everyone!" he called out to his stable employees, thankful he only had them and his one patron (and Dai of course) at the moment, "This is what we've been training for! It'll be a tight fit, but evacuate all the animals into the stable, immediately!" There was pandemonium in the stable as the three employees (as well as Dai and Aliza who helped) started to unload the horses and donkeys, moving them into stable. Embry picked up the panicky looking Hylian retriever all by himself, taking it inside. Canni reached out for Storm, but Link stopped her as she climbed onto her horse, now completely decked out in the royal gear.

"Are.. are you sure?" Canni asked, petting Storm's muzzle as she looked at the girl, "Going against a lynel is pretty dangerous, he could get hurt badly."

"I've only been with Storm for less then an hour, but I trust him with my life." Link patted the horse's mane, "Plus I need something to even the odds. Lynels are pretty fast, and so is Storm here."

Canni looked at the sword the girl was carrying, realising she was the hero mentioned in Traysi's report, "Have.. you fought a lynel before?"

"Nope!" Link grinned and Canni stared stunned. It was like the kid was a completely different person now, someone who relished in fighting monsters, compared to the shy meek kid who had appeared at their stable earlier, "But I've fought bokoblins, moblins, lizalfos, even hinox.. I've come up against guardians too.. uh.." Link looked away, "kinda.. I haven't fought one just yet, but I know how to deal with them." her hand tightened on the blade and somewhere near them the two Hylians could hear a faint galloping in the distance, "I'll manage, don't worry about me. I'm more capable then you realise. Now go on, get inside and shutter up the stable."

Canni nodded, even though there was still fear in her eyes and she headed inside the stable. The Hylians inside looked at the tiny girl who they were riding their survival on and Embry spoke out, "..Good luck, Link." Link nodded sharply as they lowered the shutter, closing them off from her and she tapped her heels sharply on Storm's sides as the horse began to gallop forwards to the south, the glowing blue blade raised high.

In the distance, she could see it now, the lynel's red mane and body charging straight for her. Link grit her teeth, so it was just like in Kakariko Village, when that monster attack happened. Even if she hadn't pulled out the blade, it still would have come out after her. It was a good thing she had pulled it out then, as it was an early warning that the lynel was coming. Thanks to it and Dai, they had been prepared. Link looked at the lynel's eyes and startled. From what she had been told, lynels had green eyes, but this one.. its eyes were glowing a blue guardian like colour. Just like the malice infused possessed Champions.

So, the Calamity was directly trying to come after her now to stop her from getting to the final Champion. Link gripped her blade as Storm charged forwards. The horse was brave. Link dropped the reins, holding onto the horse with her legs as she activated her blye eyed state and raised her other hand, writing the word **PURIFY** in the sky before sending the magic out towards the lynel. It wouldn't stop it, it was a mosnter after all, it was in their nature to attack people, but at least she could get rid of the Calamity's direct influence over the monster. The lynel shuddered as it's eyes flickered from blue to green. Link dropped her hand to clutch onto the reins as she charged forwards while the lynel was confused, slashing her blade into its side.

The lynel roared out as it turned to face her, its green eyes focused on her, but Link was too quick, she pulled out the Ancient Bow, firing off an arrow directly in the lynels head, piercing it and causing it to stagger back. The lynel fell to one knee and Link leapt from Storm as she pierced the blade directly into the lynel's chest. There was a moment where everything was still, then the lynel growled as it raised its head still with the arrow pierced in it's forehead, looking directly at Link's blue eyes. Link staggered back in shock. She knew lynels were strong, but she had directly pierced its heart with the blade that seals the darkness. She pulled the blade backwards, the gaping wound from the lynel's chest pouring streams of malice to the path below them. The lynel raised its knee again, as it pulled out the odd metal bow, aiming arrows that glowed with lightning right at the girl.

Behind her, Link heard a loud neighing sound as Storm charged forwards. That horse was almost _stupidly_ brave. "No, don't!!" Link reached out for the Sheikah slate, tapping stasis to freeze the lynel in place. She didn't want to have to explain to Malanya how she had lost her horse less then a day after getting one. However, unlike everything else she had used stasis on so far though, she heard a strange sound coming from the lynel.

( _"It's a countdown."_ ) The voice suddenly spoke to her, ( _"Lynels are too strong to permanently use stasis against, even with that overpowered device."_ )

"Is that because of the Calamity's influence?!" Link asked as she began frantically slashing at the Lynel before the countdown ended, trying to store enough kinetic energy in it to hopefully knock it back.

( _"It.. it was said that that lynels were born of the hatred that originated from the very first Calamity in time immemorial."_ ) the voice was struggling with it's words, and Link had never heard it sound so.. pained before.

"Are we talking about ten thousand years ago? Or even longer then that?"

( _"..Just focus on killing it, Hero."_ )

Link's hands tightened around the blade as she jumped back onto Storm, looking out to the west towards Digdogg Suspension Bridge. She looked back behind her to the stable, gritting her teeth. She had to get the lynel away from the stable no matter what, she just hoped the inhabitants of the stable wouldn't worry if they didn't see her again.

"Come on Storm." Link tapped her heels a bit too roughly against the horse's side as it galloped along to the south west. "Come on too, you dumb lynel, you too 'Great Calamity'. You want to stop me? Come and get me." Link and Storm rushed past the monsters leading to the bridge as they headed out on the bridge. Behind her, she heard the stasis release from the monster, as a loud roar pierced the sky, the lynel turning and charging after her.

Link tightened Storm's reins, galloping forwards still over the bridge. She could hear the shrieking of the moblins and shock arrows trying to hit her, but Storm was just too fast, going right past a hinox that was sleeping on the bridge and charging forwards into Gerudo Canyon Pass. She looked behind her shoulder as the lynel continued to charge, as the hinox groggily got up too. Oh, this was bad. The lynel didn't care though. It pulled out its sword, slashing right through the hinox as it screeched out, collapsing to the ground as it's malice escaped its form. Link watched stunned. Those lynels really were no joke. It had taken out the hinox in one attack. Those weapons the lynel had.. they sure were pretty savage. The bow could even fire three arrows at once. If she could get those, they could certainly help for Gerudo Desert.

Looking down at the water surrounding the bridge that came from the Regencia River, a plan suddenly took hold of Link as she remembered a certain individual from Zora's Domain on a bridge very similar to this one and she leapt from Storm backwards as she grabbed the Sheikah slate once more, replacing the Ancient Bow and Shield with the phrenic bow she still had from all those months ago in Kakariko Village, using her momentum to mount the lynel in one swoop.

The lynel practically _roared_ in anger and Link screamed out as she held onto its red mane, trying to keep on to it (it was so much harder then earlier with Storm) as she tried to wrap the string of the phrenic bow around it's neck with the clackety wooden bridge creaking under their combined weight. Gritting her teeth, Link activated her blue eyed state, using her free hand to write ancient Sheikah text, chaneling Ruta's power, as the sky started to downpour around the Hylian and the monster. A heavy bolt of lightning pierced near the two of them, and the lynel dodged backwards to avoid it.. however, it seemed the lynel had forgotten it was on a very thin bridge, and it stumbled backwards as both the monster and the Hylian went tumbling off the bridge to the water below. Link wouldn't have had the strength to pull an entire lynel back the way Dorian had with the moblin on Luto's Crossing, but she had tricked the lynel to doing it for her. Even a lynel wouldn't be able to survive in the water.

( _"LINK!!"_ ) the voice called out to her, in a panic, but Link tapped her hands together, making a quick signal just like she had seen Kiyah done that night back in Kakariko as she looked up above of her back to the bridge above, focusing the Sheikah magic.. or rather, Chi's _Yiga_ style magic as she teleported, red talismans appearing around her before reappearing on the bridge once more. Gasping, Link looked over at the lynel who had hit the water before it could even react to what had happened. As it's body melted started to melt away, the green eyes focused on her once more.. turning guardian like blue once more as it looked directly at her own blue eyes, before even it's head melted away.

"Good riddance." Link muttered as she pressed her chin to the wooden bridge, letting out the shaky breath she had been holding, "Don't you worry Calamity, I'll be coming after you soon enough." After a few moments rest, Link stood back up and reached for the Sheikah slate, using the magnesis rune to pull the lynel's weapons to her from the water, storing the Savage Lynel Sword, Bow and Shield into the slate. She couldn't help but look sadly at the phrenic bow, still laying in the water. It was wooden after all and couldn't be brought up with magnesis. She could probably freeze a tendril of water with cryonis and get it up that way but.. the bow string had snapped in the fight. There would be no point. It wasn't something she had used often since she had acquired Robbie's Ancient Bow, but she was still pretty attached to it. Now all she had from Kakariko was the surviving shield of the mind's eye. Placing the Sheikah slate back on her belt, Link headed back towards Storm, mounting the horse. She didn't have time to wait, she had to get to Gerudo Canyon Stable, and the two headed on the path leading towards the stable.

On the path though after she had left, a sole Yiga footsoldier appeared. This certain Yiga footsoldier was pretty young, having only just graduated, and probably had been rushed through the final stages of their training due to the re-appearance of the Hero, as they hadn't recognised the magic the Hero had used at all. But then again, even if they _had_ recognised the magic, how could they have ever guessed that it was Yiga style? There's no way the Hero could use Sheikah magic not tied to the Sheikah slate, let _alone_ Yiga magic. "Oh.. oh wow." the footsoldier muttered, looking over the bridge. "I knew the Hero was good, but taking out a lynel like that..?" the footsoldier shook their head, "I really should get back to the hideout and let Master Kohga know." before the footsoldier teleported away back to Kurasa Valley.


	19. Gerudo Desert

( _The Yiga footsoldier was sleeping quite peacefully in the barracks, well as peacefully as a Yiga footsoldier **could** sleep anyway, until their partner came up poking their side a little to wake them up. "Oi, wake up."_

_They opened one eye, reaching for their mask immediately to place it on, prefering the anonymity of it even among their fellow footsoldiers, before turning to their partner. "What are you doing up so early? Where's your mask?" Their partner, a boy just barely much older then sixteen years old with dyed black hair, like all naturally born Yiga just grinned at his partner, "Come on, I've got something to show you."_

_The footsoldier sighed, moving to get up. Whatever, they weren't tired anyway, they had rested well enough as is, and they had to humour their partner. Making sure their mask was secure, and taking their vicious sickle, they followed their partner through the hideout into a small room. They looked down distastefully. There was disoragnised notes all over the room. How messy. Their partner really was the most worthless footsoldier they had. Still, they had to stay with them. It was probably one of the most important jobs they had been given so far in their short footsoldier career. They glanced at their partner, "What's all this for?"_

_The boy spread his arms out, "Ohoho~ these are all my plans~" he grinned, crossing his arms together, "See, today, you and me, we're going to do what no other Yiga clan member has done before, we're gonna finally steal the Thunder Helm!"_

_..What. "What."_ )

\---

Link looked up as Storm finally crossed into Gerudo Canyon Stable. The sound of music reached her ears, and she spotted Kass just outside the stable, his eyes shut, wearing his teacher's Sheikah hat with a brand new concertina as the Rito played. Link remained where she was, her hands tight on Storm's reins as she watched him play. She needed to go to him, but she found herself frozen on Storm, unable to move. Link.. didn't know what to say him after what had happened at Rito Village. And.. she also felt guilty. He'd tried to get to Medoh to help her, and in turn had lost a precious gift from his own teacher.

Link looked down, her hands tightening even more around the reins. It had almost been a month now since the events at Rito Village, but it hadn't felt like that long at all. It had taken them so long, travelling with her Hylian enterourage all the way from Rito Village to Hyrule Ridge, but then from Outskirt Stable to Gerudo Canyon Stable had taken just a few hours at most, thanks to how fast Storm was.

"Hey, buddy!" Link jolted, and looked behind her. There was a Hylian merchant with a donkey who looked quite cross. The merchant looked at her and his eyes widened, "..Sorry, didn't mean to get so annoyed, didn't realise you were a kid, but you're kinda blocking the path here, can you move so we can get through?"

"Sure, sorry." Link climbed off Storm, pulling on his reins as she moved towards the stable. That's when she noticed all the people in the stable, Hylians and Gerudo alike, looking at Storm, and more importantly, his special bridle and saddle and she felt heat rise in her cheeks, embarassed. Embry had been right, they really stuck out too much. She moved to the stable keeper, "I'd like to board my horse please." it's not like she needed Storm anymore right now, she couldn't ride him into the desert after all. The stable keeper Piaffe nodded, pulling out a form for her to fill in and she quickly did so, feeding Storm a quick swift carrot and giving him a pet on his muzzle before the stable keeper took him.

She could hear Kass approach her from behind, and taking in a deep breath, she turned to face him with a wide smile on her face, "Alright Kass? You been well?"

"Link." Kass muttered quietly, "You don't have to put on that smile for my sake you know." The Rito bard looked around at the patrons around them, "Come on Link, let's get inside the stable and talk there." Link just nodded, entering the stable with the bard.

As they relaxed at the little table and chairs inside the stable, Kass reached into his pouch, "First things first.." he pulled out a letter for Link and gave it to her, then pulled out another set of Sheikah gear, this time dyed white. Link stared, "Sheikah stealth gear?"

Kass smiled, "From Kiyah. She thought you would be getting too big for the ones you have now." Link looked down at her soldier's armour, which still fit her perfectly now even almost five months later. "She does realise the Sheikah slate modifies my clothing so it fits me perfectly, right?"

Kass laughed, "She does now, but she had already bought it when I visisted last. I figured it was a waste not to take it, since it's been made perfectly for you." Link tapped the screen and the old blue Stealth gear appeared folded up on the table, storing the new white Stealth gear into the slate. "You think they can do something with the old one?" Kass took the blue Stealth gear, "I'm sure they'll find some use for it." Link replaced the soldier's armour with the new dyed white Stealth gear. Somehow, despite being exactly the same, it felt even _more_ comfortable. Maybe it was just the knowledge that after all this time, and even after everything that had happened with Dorian, Kiyah was still looking out for her. Link took in a deep breath, "..Tell her thanks for me, next time you're in Kakariko yeah?" and Kass nodded.

Link looked down at the letter, her hands tightening around it. All these letters from Kiyah, they had been talking mostly about what had been happening in the village. But.. Kiyah had also been slowly telling her about her and Dorian's past. How Kiyah had discovered an injured footsoldier (in Link's home region of Faron none the less!) when she had traveled Hyrule as a young adult, and had looked after him until he had healed. Dorian had lied about his name then, but she had remembered him when he had come to Kakariko Village a few years later as a spy for the clan. How tense the relationship had been between them at first, the Yiga Clan spy, and the Sheikah who knew the truth about him.. but had yet not told the elder.

'I was so foolish.' Kiyah had written in her first letter. 'He hadn't hurt me back then in Faron, and.. I guess I trusted him I suppose.' How their relationship had evantually bloomed from tense to young love, until Kiyah had become pregnant with Koko.

'It changed him. Learning that he was going to become a father. Those who are born in the Yiga Clan, like Dorian was, they're not raised by their birth parents, instead they're raised by a specialist who raises a group of them together - for efficency, he had said.' (Link remembered how horrifed she felt when she learned that. She couldn't imagine never knowing her own parents.)

'When he held Koko for the first time, Dorian wept so much. He said he had thoughts about his own parents you know, even though he shouldn't have. He wondered why he was just given up without a second thought, even if it was just Yiga Clan tradition. Had they held him like he was holding Koko then, and just not.. cared? Dorian said he was going to stay with me in Kakariko, that he was going to abandon the Yiga Clan for good. I was so happy.'

But then, something had changed in Dorian between Koko's birth and Cottla's. The more he stayed around the village, the more it affected him. He would help the villagers, and see how much they suffered, with the knowledge that only they had about what had happened one hundred years ago. 'What about the Calamity?' Dorian had suddenly asked her one evening, after they had put the infant Koko to bed, and Kiyah had stared at him, 'What if it awakens again. There are no Champions to defend Hyrule, no Hero, no Princess.' 

'You don't know that!' Kiyah had said, taking Dorian's hands. 'Maybe.. maybe they survived somehow! The Hylians in Castle Town survived, maybe they did too!' but her voice had waivered a little. Then the notice from Karusa Valley came. Dorian was being pulled out of his mission. He wasn't needed there anymore, he needed to come back immediately to finish his blademaster training. Orders directly from the top, Master Kohga himself.

Kiyah had been pregnant with Cottla then. She had begged him not to leave. But, of course, he had. Despite being accepted by the Sheikah as one of their own (Dorian had told Impa about his Yiga Clan history just after Koko's birth, and she and her new guard Cado had whole heartedly accepted him. Cado had even been training Dorian to take a guard position right next to him, and the two had gotten close over the last few years) he had gotten those orders directly from Master Kohga and left all the same. It was the last Kiyah had heard from him before he appeared in Kakariko that night almost five months ago.

'Dorian genuinely believed he wasn't worthy to be there with us.' Kiyah had written. 'No matter how many times I told him otherwise, that it didn't matter where he came from, I just couldn't get him to drop that Yiga Clan brainwashing. I think he truly believed he was a monster that served the Great Calamity.'

( _"..Do you really believe that? That you're monsters.."_

 _"We fight like monsters. We **kill** like monsters. We revel in malice and the blood moon just like monsters. I think, to the Hylians we ambush and attack, they would see no difference between us at all."_)

Link felt tears drop from her eyes onto the paper of the new letter, making the ink run. She now knew the whole story of Kiyah and Dorian's relationship having been fed bit and pieces of it through the last few months. And her heart hurt _so much_. She'd been so focused on her goal of trying to purify the malice infused Champions, that she hadn't noticed Dorian suffering too, back there in the Spring of Courage.

"Link?" Kass looked at her, a sad look in his yellow eyes. He already knew all of this, of course he did. The Rito bard had been sending letters back and forth all this time between her and Kakariko, he had likely learned the whole story early on as Kiyah kept giving him more and more letters for her.

"S-sorry.." Link muttered as she wiped her eyes. Nothing like a despressing story like that to make her rethink everything, as she looked at her father's dear friend.

"You shouldn't be apologising to me Link." Kass muttered, as he looked down at his instrument on the table, "I should be apologising to _you_. For the truth I kept from you."

"Kass, _no_." Link spoke, standing up. "It's not your fault at all! It's not anyone's fault, not mine, or yours, or my grandmother's." Link looked down at the Sheikah slate on the table, "My grandmother.. Aryll.. she was so young when the Calamity happened. She must have have been _traumatised_ after Hyrule Castle Town, just like I was when my parents died. It's no wonder she never mentioned her elder brother, the Hylian Champion who was supposed to stop the Great Calamity." her voice caught in her throat at that thought. How he must have suffered, her ancestor when the Calamity attacked right there while he was in the sanctum, realising he had _failed_.

Kass' wings tightened around the instrument, "It was when I was bringing Aryll down to Lurelin. We were only half a day away from the village at most, resting for the night in Lakeside Stable." Kass looked down, "Aryll was so scared then. She had wondered if she had made a mistake, coming down." Link looked at him as her eyes filled with tears once more. "She had never met you after all. Despite both being Hylians, you lived in an entire different region from her, with an entirely different culture. She was afraid you weren't going to get along at all."

"Grandma.." Link sank to her chair, putting her hands in her face.

"Aryll told me then, she wondered if she was _cursed_. She had already lived far longer then any Hylian could. She had lost her son and the daughter in law she had never met, her husband, her mother, and even her father and brother in the Great Calamity." Kass looked at her, and there was an apologetic sound to his voice, he knew how much this was hurting Link, but she had a right to know as he repeated what Aryll had told him all those years ago. "'I learned from mother years later. That he was supposed to stop it, he was supposed to end the Great Calamity before it even happened. He had a special sword that had only he could weild. I was so young, I never knew. I thought it was just any other sword, like the one father had.'"

Kass sighed. "Of course, I already knew about the Hylian Champion who had been destined to seal the darkness, from my teacher and the other Sheikah.. however, they had never mentioned his _name_. Maybe it hurt too much to mention him. I already knew about the Champions and the Princess. Perhaps if they had, I would have figured out so much earlier." Kass tightened his wings, "Even though I don't blame the Sheikah at all, I just think about how I could have told your father and my teacher before both of them passed away. Maybe they even could have met, I bet my teacher would have liked that, meeting the nephew of the Hylian Champion, knowing that his family survived."

Link looked up at him with her raw green eyes from her tears. Even Kass had suffered so much too. It wasn't fair. None of this was any _fair_. Her heart burned as she thought of the Calamity. All of this had happened because of it. But even as she thought of it, Chi's voice came to her all of a sudden, that memory of Eventide.

( _"'The Great Calamity'. Oh, how I utterly loathe for Royal Family for coming up with that moniker. He wasn't a Calamity at all."_ )

And she forced herself to calm down. Getting angry wouldn't solve a damn thing. She had made a promise to Chi, to discover the truth about about the Great Calamity ten thousand years ago, and she wasn't going to break that promise.

"Kass.." Link said quietly, as her fingers tightened around the Sheikah slate. ( _"Please don't get mad at me for asking about this."_ she spoke through it to the voice.) "That tapestry we found at the Spring of Courage, have.. have the Sheikah figured out anything about it?"

Kass glanced at her, surprised she brought it up all of a sudden, but he let out a small hm. "I've taken it to Purah and Robbie to decipher." he hesitated a little, "The four ancient Sheikah in the tapestry who sealed the Calamity, we believe that they were the original pilots of the Divine Beasts. While they were able to use their magic infused technology to control the power of the ancient machines themselves, when they were coming to the end of their lives, they decided to sacrifice themselves to become some sort of.." Kass paused, "Robbie used the word 'artificial intelligence', but I haven't the foggiest what that word even means. They bonded their spirits to the Divine Beasts permanently, and in turn they bond with the next pilots who come after them, allowing them to control the Divine Beasts through a powerful spiritual connection."

Link cocked her head, even as she heard the voice splutter indignantly in the slate, "What does that mean? You were able to figure out all that just from the tapestry? I thought it just showed the original sealing of the Calamity and the split of the Sheikah and Yiga Clan, and that the tapestry in Impa's house was an altered retelling of those events."

"Oh!" Kass nodded, "Yes, we figured that out a while back, but that stuff about the original pilots is new. Robbie managed to figure it all out, thanks to the Champions interacting with the spirits in their Divine Beasts."

( _"What?! Why would they--?!"_ )

Link ignored the voice as she looked at Kass who sighed, "Do you know what Link? I think we're actually quite lucky that only the Champions were possessed by the Calamity, as awful as that sounds now." Kass looked up at her, and there was a grave look in his yellow eyes, "Can you imagine what it would have been like if it was the Divine Beasts themselves that were possessed by the Calamity and those ancient Sheikah spirits inside them?" He shuddered, "I can't imagine the damage it would have done. It would have probably ended up creating even more awful monsters for you to face."

Link's hands tightened around the Sheikah slate, "And.. the Calamity of ten thousand years ago? Anything new about it?" Kass sighed, "Unfortunately not. There's not much for us to go on regarding that unfortunately."

(Link grit her teeth as a smug feeling came from the Sheikah slate. | _"What is wrong with you, actually?"_ | She demanded of the voice. | _"I know you've suffered too, both you and your twin!"_ | The voice immediately went quiet. | _"What happened to us is none of your concern. All that matters is destroying the Calamity. Or have you forgotten what I told you back on Luto's Crossing?"_ | _"I haven't forgotten! And quite frankly, I don't buy it."_ | _"Oh really? Then I will remind you again of all the people of Hyrule who have suffered because of the Calamity--"_ )

Link grit her teeth as she tried to block out the voice. She didn't need to be reminded! The four races who had lost their Champions and believed them to be dead for one hundred years (the Zora who had suffered terribly even if they were still alive now to be reunited with their beloved Princess, Daruk's son who had never met him, and the Rito who had idolised Revali back then who had died never finding out the truth he was still alive) and the Sheikah, who had lived for so long without hope, and the Yiga Clan, brainwashed into servitude for a monster who seemingly cared nothing for how much they had suffered for them, and even her own people the Hylians, who had lost so many good people over the years due to monster attacks, including her own parents and ancestor--

( _"Stop."_ | Link heard herself plead, almost desperately. | _"I get it, alright?"_ | _"Then you understand, how important it is that you destroy the Calamity."_ | The voice hesitated. | _"I understand Link-"_ | She jolted at the use of her name. | _"-truly I do, you have such a kind gentle spirit. And all you want do is to help people. It's all you've ever wanted to do, since you first left Lurelin, and that feeling has only gotten stronger in the months that have passed. They are good traits that show just how great of a Hero you have become. But.. you can't save everyone, I'm sorry, but that just isn't possible."_ | Link clutched her hands tighter to the Sheikah slate. | _"I know you made a promise to my.. sister. But some promises were never meant to be fulfilled."_ )

Kass watched as Link clung tightly to the Sheikah slate, tears running down her cheeks. She was likely talking to the voice in the Sheikah slate again. In the stories Kass had read, passed down from his teacher and from generation to generation before, it was said that each Hero of Legend had had a special partner who had helped them throughout their journey too. As Kass watched Link cry though, he wondered if those relationships had been as painful as this one.

\---

On the path between Gerudo Town and Kara Kara Bazaar, a small Gerudo child was walking towards the small oasis that the Gerudo had built many generations before the Great Calamity had attacked a century ago, mostly for travellers who couldn't get into Gerudo Town, thanks to the rule that only vai were permitted in the walls. Thankfully, no-one noticed her though as they continued on their own journeys.

Makeela Riju, the young chief of the Gerudo Tribe had discarded everything that made it obvious she was the chief of the Gerudo, her crown, her specialised clothing too, opting for a simple Gerudo clothing. She had a simple Gerudo style scimitar and two shields equipped. She had even left her beloved steed Patricia home, as much as it had pained her to do so. She needed to find a special warrior for the task she needed, and as much as it pained her to admit, she wouldn't find one in the Gerudo. Not because they _weren't_ warriors, far from it. The Gerudo had some of the best warriors Hyrule had to offer. But with that also came the knowledge that some beasts were not to be trifled with, especially if you lived in an area as dangerous as Gerudo Desert.

No, she specifically needed a _Hylian_ who wasn't aware of such dangers. Even though she felt kind of bad about it, and the fact that she would have to basically lie about the danger they were going into. But that's why _she_ was going too, having managed to trick her guard Buliara, who believed she had come down with an illness and was staying in bed for the time being. If there were two of them, a brave Hylian who could fight, and her, someone who knew about the dangers of the desert and could teach them, then there was nothing they couldn't do. They could even fight the dreaded Molduga. She just needed someone who was stupidly brave, and would gladly throw themselves into danger if it was to save a life.

\---

Link sneezed a little (where had that come from?) as she looked out into Kara Kara Bazaar. Compared to how hot the desert had been on the path here, this place was just nice. She didn't even need to use her massive stash of chilly elixirs here. And for such a small place with only an inn, and a few market stalls, it was certainly packed. Beedle was here, and quite a few other Hylians too as well as the usual Gerudo. Link yelped as her Gerudo guide, Lukan, patted her on the head. "You alright there, little vai?"

Link nodded, "I am now, thank you Lukan." The tall Gerudo woman nodded sharply. Kass had introduced them back at the stable, and had explained who Link was and that she was at risk of being attacked by the Yiga Clan at any moment. Of course, Lukan had jumped at the oppurtunity to help her and the two had headed to Kara Kara Bazaar, Lukan keeping watch just in case the Yiga Clan had tried to strike. Lukan nodded, "I'm supposed to only patrol between Kara Kara Bazaar and the stable, but if you need someone to protect you the rest of the way to Gerudo Town, just let me know."

"Thank you." Link looked out. The sun was setting in the distance over the desert sands and it was getting chillier with each passing moment, but at least Kara Kara Bazaar was still warm, with the many heaters and lamps that had been placed around the oasis, she'd have to spend the night here tonight in the inn, before heading out in the morning.

\---

( _The two Yiga footsoldiers peered out at Gerudo Town in the distance in their disguised forms as Hylians. It was still early day yet, and there was a gleeful look on their partner's face. "This is such a bad idea." they muttered. "You do realise that, right?"_

 _"Oh, hush you. I figured out that the Chief is gonna be busy today, so its the perfect day to finally steal the Helm." the boy clenched his hands into fists at his side. "This is how I-I mean **we** finally get to prove ourselves to the Master!" the boy's hands clenched into fists at his side, and his partner glanced at him an oddly sympathetic look on their face. "Now that we're here, we just gotta wait for the perfect moment to strike!"_)

\---

Link curled the duvet of her bed in the inn, still wide awake, as the disguised Riju entered it, sighing. She had been watching the Hylians here in the Bazaar, but none of them here were good enough warriors. They were merchants who were desperate to get into Gerudo Town, the best market in all of Hyrule, in order to peddle their wares, and had stayed here in Kara Kara Bazaar as it had been the only option available to them. The weren't bad voe by any means (even if they had stammered a little when older Gerudo approached them in the Bazaar, likely even if it was just from nerves then anything else. Gerudo vai were so _tall_ compared to Hylian voe after all) but rules were still rules. No voe were permitted in the Gerudo Town's walls, that's just how it had always _been_. No matter, she could always look again in the morning after she had slept. Maybe the warrior she needed would arrive between then. Riju approached the inn keeper. "Can I get a bed please?"

The inn keeper, a fellow Gerudo, looked up from their book at the girl and Riju shifted her veil on her face. She had most of her body covered in the Gerudo style clothing and hopefully with how dark it was, the inn keeper wouldn't even notice that she was Gerudo too. "Twenty rupees for a bed, fourty for a soft bed." The inn keeper said as they looked at the child in front of them and suddenly Riju's heart sank in her chest. Rupees. She had forgotten _rupees_. She had never needed them before in her life. As her stomach grumbled, the Gerudo Chief looked embarassed as she looked away. "Ah.. sorry! Never mind, I've forgotten something outside first!" as she hurriedly tried to escuse herself from the Gerudo's eye.

Suddenly though, a small form appeared next to her, dropping two red rupees onto the table. "She'll take the soft bed." Ah.. Riju looked in shock at the person who had just appeared. It was a Hylian.. child? A vai, yes, wearing mostly white Sheikah stealth gear, but with a Hyrulean soldier's helmet on her her head instead. The inn keeper glanced at the Hylian girl, "You know this vai?" but took the rupees all the same. Rupees were rupees after all, no matter who they had come from. The Hylian girl glanced at Riju as the Chief got a good look at her. She barely looked that older then Riju herself, a dark skinned Hylian with bright green eyes. The young Chief couldn't help but feel embarassed as the vai pointed out the empty soft bed next to her own, following her as they both sat down on their beds.

The Hylian looked at her, "You hungry?" and Riju looked up, alarmed. Next thing she knew, the girl had passed her a few baked apples. They were still _warm_ , despite the fact they looked like they had been baked a few hours ago. Riju looked at the odd Hylian who just smiled at her, "I'm Link, by the way."

"..Sorry. I can't give you my name, at least.. not right now." Riju muttered, as she moved the veil away, looking away from the inn keeper so she couldn't see her as she bit into one of the soft apples (It was lovely, so soft and sweet..) but the Hylian girl just laughed. "Figured as much, don't worry about it."

After finishing off the apples, Riju glanced at the Hylian girl Link, "..Why did you pay for a bed for me anyway? And a soft bed too, you could have just got me the cheapest option."

Link hummed, "I've been in the same position as you, no rupees to get an bed at an inn. I had to sleep by a cooking pot for warmth that night." the girl looked down at her hands, "At that time, I wish someone had noticed how young I was and taken a little pity on me, even if it had cost them." the Hylian girl looked at her and grinned, "I couldn't just let you stay out there in Kara Kara Bazaar in the night. It's much better to have a warm bed and something tasty to eat, right?" she rubbed her chin a little embarassed, "I know you weren't in any danger, but I still had to save you.."

Riju's heart leaped in her throat. That desire to save somone. That was what she needed. "Are.. are you a warrior?" the girl looked barely that older then herself and yet..

Link blinked a little in surprise and hummed a little looking off in the distance. "Uh.. I'm pretty good at fighting monsters, if I do say so myself."

"What kind of monsters have you fought?"

Link poked her cheek, "Bokoblins.. moblins.. lizalfos.. hinox.." she looked embarassed as heat rose in her cheeks. "I.. uh.. recently took out a lynel too. Even if I just barely survived." that last part was muttered under her breath, but Riju smiled widely. She had found her warrior.

\---

In the morning, the Gerudo and Hylian children went over their strategy behind the inn with a Hylian vai wearing pink Gerudo vai clothing not too far from them at the cooking pot the two had just left. The Hylian Link had just made two bowls of soup, and as Riju swallowed the hearty but strangely sweet soup, she found it was one of the most tastiest things she had had in a long time. Her meals in Gerudo Town were specifically made for her, mostly traditional things that Gerudo liked, for her specifically, gourmet meat and poultry dishes and plenty of vegetables for a growing Gerudo girl. Maybe a fancy dessert every now and then, if some vai merchant carried the ingredients needed to make desserts. "What's in this soup anyway?" Riju asked as Link looked over the map she had brought of the desert.

"Oh, hm.. hydromelon, voltfruit, hearty radish and fresh milk." Link muttered the ingredients as she traced her finger over the parchment, "I was able to find plenty of hydromelons and voltfruit when I was traveling in the desert yesterday, and its a recipe I've wanted to try for a while now."

"Wow.. fresh fruit in a soup?" Riju took another spoonful. No wonder why it was so sweet. The ingredients shouldn't have gone together at all, but as she bit some of the radish, its peppery taste seemed to cancel out a bit of the sweetness. Without it, the dish would have probably been overbearingly sweet, but as it was? The soup was _just right_. Sweet, but not _too_ sweet.

"I'm not too keen on sweet foods." Link continued, "But I was told about this particular recipe with a group of Hylians I travelled with a while back. They said that if you eat the soup with another person, it will bring you closer toget-- uhhhh.." Link looked at Riju, and a deep blush spread over her face as she hurriedly buried her red face into the parchment. Riju just laughed though. This Hylian vai was so different from the hardened people in Gerudo town, her sincerety blazed through her brightly. And she was so kind too..

"Anyway." Link coughed, "So where do we find this.. 'molduga' you mentioned?" the Hylian chewed her lip a little and a look of worry seemed to pass over her face. Riju leaned over the parchment, pointing to the area just south of Gerudo Town. "See that place? It's called Arbiter's Grounds." Riju glanced away as she spoke quietly, "..The Gerudo said that it used to be a prison for Hyrule's most ruthless criminals in ancient times. However these days it's nothing more then ruins, buried deep beneath the sands of the desert." As Riju finished her soup, she tightened the veil around her face again, grateful that there was no-one here behind the inn where they were camping right now who could have spotted her.

"There are other moldugas too of course, but the two to the west of the town would take us too close to the Divine Beast." Link flinched a little at her words, "There's also the one in the Southern Oasis, but trying to climb that huge rock just to get to the oasis while the molduga's there would be far too dangerous. The ancient ruins and pillars of Arbiter's Ground are small enough for you and I to climb if need be."

Link nodded. "And how do we get out there?" Riju just grinned widely at that as she pulled out the two Gerudo styled shields she had been carrying.

\---

Link screamed out loud as she she went rushing forwards in the sand, surfing on the Gerudo shield and holding onto the rope for dear life which was attached to the strange creatures that her new friend, the other girl had procurred for them: the sand seals, as she had called them. ( _Dorian._ Link thought helplessly. _Of all the things you told me about the desert, you could have told me about this._ ) But just as the thought came into her head, she discarded it. A Yiga Clan member probably wouldn't know much about this Gerudo tradition, as the child had told her. As they went charging through the sand, she looked to her new friend. The child was clearly having the time of her _life_ , gliding over the sand like a natural. But that made sense, she was a Gerudo after all. Link wondered why she needed to kill a molduga anyway. She hadn't explained much about it. Just that she needed the guts of a molduga. It wasn't that too different from the quests she had taken those three months to keep her going as she traveled from Hyrule Ridge, through Herba and to Rito Village, and the girl had seemed desperate, so of course she had accepted.

Still, as the Sheikah slate hummed on her belt, Link glanced down to it worriedly and at the sandstorm she could see even from here in the distance at the edge of the desert. Despite wanting to help the girl, a small part of her wondered if she should be wasting time on this, when the Divine Beast was _right there_. Link shook her head frantically, no. She shouldn't be thinking like that. She was helping someone, she _wanted_ to help people. The voice had been right about that. If she wasn't here to help not just with the Divine Beasts, but also the problems of the Hyruleans in general, then what good was she for anyway? She was a Hero. Gritting her teeth, even as the strange feelings blossomed in her, Link now fully embraced that role that destiny had given her. That's right. Her whole family had been heroes, leading all the way back to her Zonai ancestors and even far beyond. This, right here. It was what she had been born to do.

"Link!" the Gerudo called out, looking at her, "We're coming up to Arbiter's Grounds. Have you got the bomb arrows I gave you ready?"

Link nodded sharply, readying her new Savage Lynel Bow with three bomb arrows equipped. The Gerudo child gasped, "Oh wow.. that bow..! I know you said you took out a lynel, but you even managed to get its weapons?" the Gerudo held down her red hair with one hand, using her other hand to steer the sand seal with the rope. She had discarded the veil earlier, once they had acquired the wild sand seals near the town. "Alright, I'm going to ride forwards into the ruins, and while the molduga is chasing me, you fire at it with bombs arrows. If I distract it, and you constantly attack, we should destroy the molduga in no time at all." the child looked back at her, her own green eyes shining brightly, "If the molduga comes after you, climb one of the pillars around you for safety, until I can distract it again, got it?"

Link chewed her lip. She didn't like this plan at all. The Gerudo girl was gonna be in so much danger. But the girl just grinned in response to her visible worry, "Don't worry about me Link, I'm one of the best sand seals racers in the town. I was trained by the best after all!" She looked back out to the Arbiter's Grounds, "Ready Link?"

"No, not really." Link admitted, but raised the bow anyway as her sand seal came to a stop and the Gerudo girl charged forwards into the surrounding sands around the ruins. She heard the shriek immediately and despite the heat of the desert, goosebumps broke out on the skin of her arms as she saw a huge mass of sand travelling forwards forwards to where the Gerudo was. Swallowing her breath, Link pulled the drawstring of the savage lynel bow, igniting the bomb arrows and readying herself. Just before the mass of sand reached her, the girl made a sharp angled turn, just as the large beast came out of the sand. Link gasped. The monster was _massive_ , and looked like an overgrown fish with fins all over it's brown body and even little legs at its back, for travelling quickly under the sand. And it's mouth.. the molduga could easily swallow you whole if you weren't careful. Link shook her head and fired the three bomb arrows at once, the special properties of the lynel made bow meant that one could easily load three arrows into it without breaking a sweat. Once upon a time, the heavy metal would have been overpoweringly too much for her, but now she could lift it easy.

The Gerudo child gasped out loud the bomb arrows hit the molduga right in its under belly, causing it to shriek and collapse to the sand on it's side, streams of malice escaping the wound where it had been hit. She looked at Link and there was an impressed look on her face, "This is going to be easier then I thought! Link, with how powerful that bow is, I think we only need one more good hit to take it down!"

The molduga let out a piercing shriek, pushing itself back onto its belly and diving beneath the sand again. Link stepped back, loading another three bombs arrows into the savage lynel bow as the Gerudo took off again with the sand seal. The Gerudo child went faster and faster still, spinning around Arbiter's Grounds at such a dizzying pace that it made Link's head spin. Still, she kept her eyes focused on the mass of sand as it chased her, carefully stepping back a few steps as she angled the bow over and over again. The Gerudo grit her teeth together. The molduga was being cautious now, remaining under the sand for much longer then it had previously.

As Riju thought of the Gerudo back in the town who needed those guts for her beloved husband, she turned sharply on the shield, charging directly head on for the molduga as behind her Link, yellow out loudly, "What are you _doing_?!" as she rushed forwards, igniting the bomb arrows. There! Riju watched as the molduga pulled its head out of the sand, opening its jaw and she turned sharply, just avoiding its head straight on. However, the mass of the monster was just too great and its span, sending one of its fins crashing right into her, throwing the Gerudo child clean off her shield and to the sand below, blood spurting from her right shoulder where she had been struck. The molduga pulled itself back up out of the sand and charged right for her, but all of a sudden Link was right there in front of her.

The Savage Lynel Bow had been discarded, and the Hylian raised an odd device from her belt that Riju hadn't seen before as she raised her hand, blue arrows appearing seemingly out of nowhere. However, instead of looking like regular arrows, they looked like the same bomb arrows she had given Link earlier, just made out of some sort of blue energy. Link pushed her hand forwards and the strange looking bomb arrows were pushed right into open jaw of the molduga. Link snapped her fingers and the strange blue arrows detonated inside the jaw of the molduga. The monster let out one last final shriek, before slumping over, dead. Riju just looked amazed, even as blood continued to pour from her shoulder onto the sand below her.

Link turned to her and Riju was startled. The girl's eyes were glowing a bright blue. "Link.." but the Hylian quickly rushed to her side. She raised the odd device again, writing strange letters Riju didn't recognise into it, before tapping her hand to the screen. Then.. her hands started to glow blue, as she pressed them to Riju's shoulder. Riju watched, amazed. It was like her body was knitting itself back together. "How.. how are you doing that?" she asked quietly as the blood disappeared and the wound healed. Link didn't respond, wholy focused on her injury. In no time at all, the injury was completely gone, just a small darkened part of skin that would heal over back in due time and Link suddenly gasped out, staggering down to her hands and knees as she shuddered.

"Link!" Riju cried, placing a hand to the Hylian's shoulder and she watched as a lock of the girl's blonde hair turned to pale white right before her own eyes, placing a hand to her own mouth. She hadn't noticed the hair before. The girl's Hyrulean soldier's helmet had completely covered her hair.

"I'm.." Link gasped, "I'm alright."

Riju sat up as she looked at the molduga's body behind her. She had to get the guts while it was still warm, but she looked back at Link who was panting heavily. "Go, you need those guts don't you?" Riju nodded as she pulled out her scimitar, approaching the molduga's body as she cut open the wound caused by the first bomb arrows, shoving her hand into the molduga's body. Link had one eye winced half shut as she watched the Gerudo pull around the inside of the molduga's body, before finally pulling out a large green organ that seemed to pulse even though the molduga was dead. "I need to get this back to to Gerudo Town as soon as possible."

"Give it to me." Link raised the strange device she had used earlier, and suddenly Riju completely recognised it, realising who the girl was, "I'll be able to keep it preserved with this as much as you need."

"That's.. a Sheikah slate?" Riju said, hardly able to believe it, even as she handed the organ to Link who stored it into the device. "You're the Hylian Hero?" Link chuckled, despite the fact that she was still panting, "Sorry I didn't tell you, you seemed so desperate to get here as soon as possible, it would have taken too long to explain and go over everything."

Riju sat down in the middle of Arbiter's Ground as she looked at her healed arm. She had overheard a few of her Gerudo soldiers in the barracks talking about the Hylian Traysi's newest resport of the publication the Super Rumour Mill a while back. None of them had believed the rumours though. ( _"They must think we're stupid." the Gerudo captain Teake had said. "The Champions and the Hero alive? If so, where are they? Why haven't they come and helped us with the Yiga Clan?"_ ) As Riju looked at the girl in front of her and the things she had just done, she whole heartedly believed it though.

She had wanted too, even before. Just the thought of Urbosa being alive.. it made her feel so much braver. Buliara had gently told her not to get her hopes up though, as much as her guard had wanted to believe it too though. The Gerudo were too much of a hardened and realistic people. They had suffered too much in their long history.

So when Riju had overheard one of her people in Gerudo Town, begging for someone to help her take out a molduga for her sick husband, she had acted. Lying to Buliara that she was unwell, disguising herself, escaping the town, just to find a good enough warrior to take out a molduga. Looking at the Hylian girl, just barely older then she was, Riju had never expected to find that the Hylian Hero would have answered her call. She hadn't even told her her name. And Link had helped her anyway, as if she was any other Hyrulean.

Riju was incredibly touched by the notion. She was every bit of a Hero as the Super Rumour Mill had said she had been. Touching her hand to Link's own hand, Riju smiled, "..Thank you Link, truly, thank you." The girl just smiled widely in response, her own green eyes looking into Riju's ones, "Don't worry about it. I'm a Hero, it's what I do. Helping people like you."

There was a sudden explosion near them, and both the Hylian and Gerudo looked up startled at the sound. Riju's eyes widened in horror. There was smoke coming from Gerudo Town in the distance. She stood up, even as her arm still winced a little in pain from the small leftover scar, "Gerudo Town..! I have to get back there!" and Link got up, grabbing the fallen Savage Lynel Bow as she stored it back into the slate, following the Gerudo child back to the town, worrying about the people who lived in the town, even as her eyes still looked to the west where the sandstorm of Vah Naboris billowed out from the Divine Beast, "What do you think happened?!"

Riju bit her lip, there was only one thing it could possibly be, as she hurried back to the town as quickly as possible "It has to be the Yiga Clan." And Link froze in place for a moment, her hand grasped to her chest as she thought of Kiyah's letter, looking back to the town and the girl in heading off in front of her. Link closed her eyes and swallowed, before reopening them and following the Gerudo girl to the town. Even as she followed, she looked down at her hands, thinking of how she had healed Riju earlier. Link had been acting on pure instinct alone and she didn't know how, but she could have sworn she had been channeling Mipha's power back then..

\---

( _"Come on."the Yiga footsoldier's partner muttered to him, "We've been patrolling all day. There isn't going to be an opening, let's just head back to the hideout and we'll try again some other day."_

_"No!" the boy snapped at his partner, "It has to be today." and the two continued their path forwards through the back of the town, even though it was getting colder and colder in the desert, the moon and stars bright over the two footsoldiers. They were so focused on their mission that the two footsoldiers hadn't noticed the two women near them._

_Of the pair, the Gerudo woman stopped all of a sudden, glancing over her shoulder at the two footsoldiers, as she placed a hand on her weapon.. the Scimitar of the Seven. "Halt. And face me."_

_The two footsoldiers turned around sharply, looking at the Gerudo who had called out to them and the the taller of the two footsoldiers blanched. Oh no. That really was Urbosa, Chief of the Gerudo right behind them. How had they not noticed her before?_

_And next to her.. the partner, a female footsoldier by the name of Eldah, felt their partner tense up visbily as she noticed the blonde long haired girl wearing Royal blue just behind the Gerudo Chief. This was bad. This was unbelievably bad. How had they screwed up this much? She was supposed to be better then this!_

_The Gerudo Chief was continuing to speak to them though, "Unlike you traitors, I prefer to fight my enemies head on." The two footsoldiers looked at each other, and her partner actually grinned while still in his disguise. 'You can't be serious.' Eldah desperately thought. 'We're actually going to do this?'_

_She could only imagine what was going through his head. 'Forget the Thunder Helm, we have something even better right in front of us.' Eldah grit her teeth together. If that was what he wanted, then she had to follow his lead. She had to protect him. She would die to protect him if so be it. In front of them, Urbosa pulled out her scimitar as she faced the two footsoldiers._

_"Do your worst!" she yelled at them as the Princess stepped back. The two footsoldiers briefly nodded at each other, before summoning their vicious sickles and dropping their disguises, teleporting as they rushed for the Gerudo Chief. Eldah was quicker, slashing her sickle right against Urbosa's scimitar as they clashed together, while her partner despaerately looked for an opening to attack. Eldah and Urbosa continued to clash against each, their weapons sparking against each other. Eldah grit her teeth under her mask. She knew Urbosa was good, but this.. nethertheless, she desperately fought back, spinning around the Gerudo Chief as she raised her sickle once again, trying to smash it down into Urbosa's back. However, Urbosa was quicker, quickly raising her shield the Daybreaker and Eldah gasped out as the force pushed her back. Eldah staggered back, and before she knew it, the hilt of Urbosa's scimitar was thrust roughly into her stomach, knocking the wind out of her as she collapsed to the ground._

_"Eldah!" her partner cried out and Urbosa span around, almost like she was dancing, her back to him as he leapt above the Gerudo Chief. Eldah staggered, trying to get up behind them the Princess cried out, "Urbosa!"_

_Then it happened, the moment that Eldah would never forget for the rest of her life. The Gerudo Chief snapped her fingers and a horrible sound of lightning pierced the night sky. Eldah looked up, sheer horror on her face under her mask as she watched her partner, the boy she had been assigned to protect was completely consumed by lightning as he screamed out in pain. Eldah was trying to move, abanonding her vicious sickle as she pulled herself against the sands to try and get to him. No.. no **no no no**!!_

_She watched in pure agony and pain as the lightning left his body and he crumpled to the ground, unmoving. Urbosa looked back at the two footsoldiers, "Out or respect for our Princess, you may keep your lives."_

_..What? Eldah hurried along to her partner, reaching out to touch his chest, feeling for a heartbeat. Oh, thank the Calamity, he was still alive! She hadn't failed her mission._

_"Now go!" Urbosa yelled at them and Eldah looked at the Gerudo Chief, hatred coursing through her veins as she carefully lifted her partner, letting him rest on her before teleporting away._

_\---_

_They arrived back in Kurasa Valley right in front of the entrance leading to the hideout and he gasped out, steam escaping from his body as he tried to push Eldah away. "No.. no. I don't want the Master to see me like this!"_

_Eldah ripped away her own mask and his. She hoped the blademasters wouldn't scold them, but this was too important as she pulled the knot of his dyed black hair down, pulling the away the clothing covering his head as she looked at him. His eyes were shut and he was gasping heavily, there was lightning shaped scars all over his face, steam still billowing out of them and she pulled the red clothing down even further, looking over the top of his body. The lightning shaped scars continued all the way down his body and he gasped raggedly, eyes squeezed in pain as he gasped for breath._

_"Kohga." The sixteen year old boy opened his eyes and looked at his partner. "We need to get you to the infirimary now."_

_Kohga choked, "Eldah.. please, don't.. we can.. we can cover this up.. right? No-one.. ugh.." he groaned as moved to his side, the steam billowing from his scars, "No-one needs to know about what happened."_

_"I'm sorry Kohga." Eldah hands tightened in fists as she looked at the scars over the future Master's body. "Your father has to be informed." Kohga just sobbed, tears running down his face, causing him to hiss as the pain magnified from the hot tears on his steaming scars, "Eldah.. he's going to kill me.."_

_Eldah grit her teeth, "Stop it Kohga! Stop crying! You're the future of the Yiga Clan! One day, you're going to rule this entire clan! The Yiga **needs** you!" Carefully lifting the boy again, Eldah signaled to open the hideout, as they headed inside towards the center of the entrance and the eight statues covered by the inverted eye. Eldah froze though and next to her, Kohga's eyes widened as he began to stammer._

_Standing on the center platform was a tall imposing man, even taller then the blademasters. He wore the traditional blademaster outfit with the hood, instead of any special fancy clothing befitting of someone of his stature, only his mask was anything special, with three horns coming out either side. He had his arms crossed in front of him as the Master of the Yiga Clan glared down at the two footsoldiers._

_"M-Master Kohga.." Eldah stammered as her hands tightened around the younger Kohga. She couldn't stand up tall with him resting up her like this to show respect._

_"Where have you two been?" the Master spoke, his voice low. "And where are your masks?"_

_Eldah tried to keep her face neutral, but it was so hard without her mask protecting her face. She looked down at the younger Kohga still leaning on her and her heart hurt. Kohga pulled away from her as he staggered towards his father, bending down on his knees, "I.. I tried to go to Gerudo Town! T-to steal the Thunder Helm for you!"_

_"Clearly." the Master spat. "You obviously didn't succeed though, did you brat? If you had the Thunder Helm, you wouldn't have all those nasty scars on you right now from that blasted Gerudo's lightning, now would you?" he actually let out a low chuckle and Eldah looked at him, unable to stop the shock from her face, "It's unfortunate though. Least she could have done was take you out properly, then I could have someone more competent to replace you." the younger Kohga looked up at him, shock and pain in his face as his father continued, "Unfortunately, it appears you can't even die properly brat, so I'm stuck with you."_

_Eldah's hands tightened into fists. The younger Kohga was just the mission. She had to stay impartial. She had too. Around them, some of the Yiga medics were coming now to the younger Kohga's aid, having apparantly been on standby. The Master called out to them, "Heal him, but make sure he keeps the scars." The Master laughed coldly, "They can be a reminder of his utter failure here tonight."_

_The medics nodded teleporting away with the younger Kohga to the infirmary as the Master approached Eldah who finally straightened her back out towards him, "Master!"_

_"Footsoldier." the Master spoke coldly. "If I ever see you without your mask in my presence again, I'll have you removed as my son's partner and you go right back to day one training." Eldah froze. "That will include your initiation ceremony, of course. Do you understand?"_

_Eldah looked up at him and there was genuine fear in her eyes. "..Yes, of course, Master Kohga."_

_"Good, now get out of my sight."_

_Eldah grit her teeth, willing herself not to cry (she would be a hypocrite if she cried now after having scolded Kohga before), teleporting away back to the barracks. She hurriedly pulled out a new mask, her fingers trembling even as she locked it into place on her face. Looking at the younger Kohga's empty bed she couldn't help but grimace._

_The younger Kohga hadn't even been raised by his father. The Master wouldn't break the rules for anyone, not even his own child, so Kohga had been raised alongside the other trainees.. who had all known that he was destined to become the new Kohga, just from his **name**. It had put enormous pressure on him, a pressure he constantly was unable to live up to. He always had the lowest marks in their exams. He was constantly messing up all the time. Still, Eldah believed with all her heart that Kohga would pull through this suffering. He was destined to become the leader of the Yiga Clan after all. And she would help him, no matter what it took._)

In the Yiga Clan hideout in Kurasa Valley, Master Kohga yawned as he woke up from his nap. The scars on his face itched terrible and he casually reached out scratching at them as he sat up. His mask was lying next to him, having fallen off when he was napping, and the 117 year old Yiga Clan leader groaned as he picked it up, locking it onto his face as he looked around the open area in the back of the hideout leading up to the Gerudo Highlands. Sitting up, he yawned again as he teleported back to his personal chambers.

It was just as messy as it had been all those years ago, and Kohga carefully wandered through all the parchments on the floor as he reached the table at the back of the room, with a map of Hyrule spread out on it and a copy of that Hylian journalist's report pinned to the map. There were marks he had made all over the map.. Zora's Domain, Goron City, Rito Village, Seres Scablands, Gerudo Canyon Pass.. Kohga grit his teeth a little at that one. The Hero was close. They were _so_ close.

"Where are you Hero?" Kohga muttered as his hands tightened on the map, "I'm going to find you. I'm going to be the one to personally take you out." Kohga's eyes narrowed behind his mask, "After all.. It's the only thing I was born to do."


	20. Karusa Valley

( _It had supposed to be a routine mission to collect mighty bananas in the Faron Region. Of course, the Yiga Clan grew their own bananas too, but with the way they went through the fruit, it had become a sort of right of passage for young footsoldiers, to head to Faron and collect as much as the fruit they could carry. Which was a lot more then one would expect, mind you._

_Rune magic really was impressive, the young footsoldier Dorian had thought as he moved around the Faron region, plucking as many bananas as he could, before storing them in a special modified Yiga talisman that had been given to him just for this mission. Dorian had taken every mission he had been given seriously, and today's mission was no exception. With both a duplex bow and a vicious sickle, it really was no trouble at all. Despite his tecachings by the blademasters, Dorian had no problem defending himself from monsters and carefully sniped them with his bow before they had even had a chance to attack him as he moved through Guchini Plains, plucking as many bananas as he could see before heading south to Martha's Landing._

_As his feet hit the beach, the young footsoldier looked out south towards Faron Sea. It was strangely calm and serene here, the soft sound of the waves was like nothing they had in the desert. And the bright sun above him was warm and just nice. As somone who lived in Gerudo Desert, Dorian had come to fear the sun almost as much as the moon. In you weren't prepared constantly, the temperature shift between the two states could easily kill you. Behind his mask, Dorian shut his eyes as a memory suddenly came to him._

_They had been trainees then. It wasn't often that they actually got to train in the blazing heat of the desert, but this had been one of those rare occurances. They had all been given one chilly elixir each and they had headed out to West Gerudo Ruins. Dorian still remembered, seeing Toruma Dunes in the distance.. and the horror he had felt at first seeing the massive beast, the desert's molduga for the first time in his life. The training had been going well all things considered.. but then they had been ambushed by a group of particuarly aggressive electric lizalfos. It was pandemonium, the trainees all trying to focus their magic at once to get back to the hideout. But they had made it in the end, them and their blademaster teacher too. Well, all except for one. He remembered the panic he had felt at first, realising he couldn't see his partner Bant, one of the trainees he had actually been raised alongside among them. Then the blademaster had taken a headcount, and he had spotted the boy, sobbing and trembling as he still lay on the ground of Kurasa Valley. The fear Dorian had felt turned to immediate disgust, and he had looked away from the other boy as he was scolded terribly by their blademaster teacher. And yet.. there was still one missing. A scrawny smaller then average trainee he hadn't even noticed before._

_"Wait!" Bant had called out, despite being just scolded by the blademaster already once. "You're going to go back for him right? You can't just leave him out there!" the blademaster had backhanded Bant and he had staggered back, raising his hand to where he had hit. The blademaster told them there was no point wasting precious resources on one trainee. The trainee wouldn't have survived. By now, either the monsters had got to to him or the desert heat would have. Dorian hadn't known which he feared more, as the trainees were all taken back into the hideout. That trainee must have been so scared out there in the desert.. imagine survivng the purification ritual and then dying on what should have been a simple training mission._

_Dorian shivered despite the warmth of Faron as he reopened his eyes, his hand tightening on his duplex box. He had been so lost in his memories of his trainee days, he hadn't noticed the small waves of Faron's sea were now splashing around his armour clad feet, and he glanced back up at the sea. That was when he heard it, the sound that would haunt him for years to come. A guardian laser, his head shooting up as he saw the stalker, glowing red with the Calamity's malice, crawling towards him on those long thin legs. He managed to teleport just in time, the talismans surrounding him, just before the guardian's laser struck him._

_Dorian gasped as he reappeared not too far from where he had been, hidden under a cave between Martha's Landing and Aris Beach. He hadn't had time to teleport any where else. He really should have moved to somewhere with civilization, maybe one of the two stables nearby. But as his hand tightened on his duplex bow, he knew he couldn't. If a Yiga footsoldier just showed up at one of those places without their disguise, he would be in just as much danger._

_In front of him, the guardian stalker turned around, before focusing attention on him once more, somehow managing to see him even hidden under the cave as it continued to crawl towards him. Dorian's hands tightened around duplex bow as he teleported once more, this time to Aris Beach._

_\---_

_At Lakeside Stable, a young Sheikah woman tightened the reins on her horse as she glanced down past Floria Bridge. The patrons in the stable were trembling. Even all the way from here, they could hear just how loud the guardian's lasers were. She could even see one shoot up into the sky above the mountain of Ubota Point. The stable keeper looked out fearfully as he glanced to his patrons and Kiyah could feel the weight of her phrenic bow and eightfold blade that she only really used for hunting equipped to her back._

_Kiyah's father had been a previous assistant of the Sheikah researcher Purah, and so she had been more or less raised in Hateno. It was in the Hylian nature not to ever turn their backs on a fellow Hyrulean. And yet.. she was Sheikah too. She knew just how dangerous those guardians were. Kiyah's hands tightened on the reins as she tapped her heels to Firly's side, causing the horse to gallop off over Floria Bridge as fast as it could._

_"Wait!" the stable keeper called out to her, "What are you doing?! You can't fight a guardian!!" But Kiyah didn't respond though as Firly continued to gallop forwards. No matter what, she wouldn't turn her back on a fellow Hyrulean. That's just how she was._

_\---_

_Dorian couldn't help but scream out as the guardian's laser just barely missed his left shoulder, teleporting forwards as he panted wildly. His shoulder singed with steam and he staggered back as he looked back to the guardian which started charging it's laser up again. The world was spinning around him.He had somehow made it to the path leading up to Atun Valley, but the guardian was relentless. It had chased him all the way from Martha's Landing. Even his Yiga mask had fallen off as he he had tried to escape._

_And he was getting exhausted, even a simple rune magic like teleportation if used too much could exhaust a Yiga. And he was just a footsoldier, he wasn't even a blademaster yet! Dorian grit his teeth, he couldn't die here. It was his dream to become a blademaster after all. He raised his duplex bow, and despite the fear he felt, fired two arrows right where the guardian's laser was coming from hoping desperately that he could prevent the laser from hitting him somehow._

_Dorian watched shocked however as the guardian staggered backwards, it's head spinning wildly as its blue eye flickered. Was.. was the eye its weakness? He loaded another two arrows into his bow, firing at the eye again, thankful that he really was one of the best archers of his trainee class. Again the stalker staggered back, it's head spinning wildly again. Again he reached for his arrows, firing off constantly, raining arrows down directly onto the guardian's eye each and every time, never allowing the guardian to recover enough to start up it's laser. Even exhausted, Dorian was just too good. He reached for his quiver once more.. and startled as he realised he had no more arrows. The stalker was shuddering as its head wildly span around, before focusing on him once more. Dorian glanced to his vicious sickle as he put away the duplex bow. It seemed like a stupid plan, but he was out of options. The footsoldier charged forwards, using one final teleport to dodge the laser as he reappeared right on the guardian's head. Dorian then smashed the tip of the vicious sickle directly into the guardian's blue eye, pushing it forwards as much as he could. He could hear the sickening crunch of the metal as it was pushed into the strange technology, and beneath him the guardian shuddered as tendrils of malice escaped its form, the guardian deactivating._

_Dorian climbed off the guardian, his knees collapsing as he stumbled up to the path. His whole body hurt.. and he knew it was only a matter of time before the guardian activated again (you could thank the blood moon for that). He hadn't completely destroyed the guardian after all, he'd only managed to damage it enough for the Calamity's presence to escape it, but as he shakily got back to his feet, Dorian stumbled forward as the adrenaline left his body and the exhaustion hit him all at once, collapsing right there on the path leading up to Atun Valley._

_\---_

_Dorian awoke, hearing the gentle sound of water next to him. His head was still spinning, but his eyes darted around anyway, spotting a person just in front of him, at the small pond. Bile caught in his throat as he recognised the Sheikah clothing the person wore. Why would a Sheikah save him? The Sheikah and Yiga hated each other. His hand went to his side for a weapon, but then he remembered he had destroyed his vicious sickle. And his duplex bow was missing. He glanced down, spotting the bow near the Sheikah's horse. Right, he didn't have any arrows either._

_The Sheikah stood up, carrying a bucket of water, turning to him and Dorian jolted. It was a young woman. He still felt exactly the same though, regardless of the gender of the Sheikah. As the young Sheikah woman approached him with the bucker of water, Dorian tried to stand, but his body was fighting him. He was still exhausted from evading and fighting the guardian. He narrowed his eyes as the Sheikah woman bent to her knees, ripping out a piece of the blue cloth from her Sheikah belt as she soaked the cloth in the water, before pressing it to his injured shoulder. Dorian hissed from the stinging pain, looking away from her._

_"What are you doing?" The young woman looked at him in surprise as Dorian glared at her, hate in his eyes. "I'm Yiga. You're Sheikah. I'm your enemy, why are you helping me?"_

_The woman let out a small hum, before wrapping the cloth around his injured shoulder and under his armpit. "I don't know about that. I don't see an enemy here, do you?" she looked up at him and he was taken aback by the soft look in her red Sheikah eyes. Even Dorian, despite being pure blood Yiga, didn't have the natural red eyes of his ancestors, instead his own eyes were grey. Not many in the Yiga had red eyes now, not even Master Kohga himself. The Sheikah woman smiled, "I only see a fellow Hyrulean who needed my help."_

_Despite himself, as he looked into those gentle eyes he could feel the hatred inside him evaporating and as she continued to wrap the make shift bandage around his arm, Dorian slumped back against the camp she had set up, raising his uninjured arm and rubbing his eyes a little as he glanced out at the location he was at. What a weird little pond the Sheikah had taken him too. It almost looked like those odd hearty radishes he had spotted earlier when he was hunting bananas.._ )

Dorian had his legs crossed as he sat alone on his bed in his personal blademaster chamber, chewing down on a meat stuffed pumpkin as he looked out into the distance not at anything in particular with tired grey eyes, his mask next to him on the bed. His personal bedchambers should have been more neater then they currently were. They usually _were_ , but right now everything in the Yiga Clan hideout in Kurasa Valley was a mess. When the report a Yiga footsoldier had found in a stable was brought back to the hideout, absolute chaos had unfolded in the base.

Master Kohga had been downright _furious_. Dorian had never seen the Master of the Yiga Clan that angry before in his life. Most if not all of the footsoldiers, even the trainees who were close and even ones that were not so close to graduation, had immediately been thrown out, sent all the way across every corner of Hyrule. Surely Kohga must have known how futile that effort was? There was only one Divine Beast left. Wouldn't it have been better to keep everyone here in the hideout, or at the very least the desert? Dorian looked down at his table just in front of his bed, at a copy of the report that now adorned it.

Placing down the half eaten pumpkin, he carefully stepped over the specialiased vegetable planter box he had set up (with its own special rune powered lamp to give it light even in the darkness of the Yiga Clan hideout) that he had used to grow the pumpkin and carrot seeds he had brought back from Kakariko Village all those years ago, as he reached out for the report on the table. Sitting back down on his bed, he looked at the portrait covering it, his grey eyes ignoring the three Champions as he stared at the Hero's form. Link.. she looked so serious in this portrait as she held the Legendary Blade. Nothing like the broken yet extradonarily kind girl he had met through that first month of her journey.

Sighing, Dorian put the report back on his bed, just over his mask as he took his half eaten meal again. He usually enjoyed meat stuffed pumpkin. It had been his favourite meal back in Kakariko, after being introduced to the traditional Kakraiko staple by Kiyah all those years ago, but right now he could barely taste it. The pumpkin felt heavy and odd in his mouth, even as he continued to swallow.

( _"Dorian, why are you so short anyway compared to the rest of us?" one of the other blademasters spoke to him one day as they went over their schedules for the trainees. Dorian looked up, a blank look on his face under the mask. He wasn't **that** short. He still towered over the shorter footsoldiers, the even tinier trainees and especially the Hylians._

_Another blademaster chuckled, pressing his hand to the top of Dorian's hood, "Maybe if you were on a full banana diet like the rest of us, you'd be the tallest out of all of us." Dorian roughly pushed away the hand on his head. "Focus, all of you. We've got work to do."_

_A third blademaster shrugged, "Dunno why the Master lets you keep those nasty Kakariko vegetables anyway. If I was the Master, I would have made you destroy that little planter of yours years ago."_

_"Well you're not the Master now, are you?" Dorian spat, defensively._

_The second blademaster placed a hand on his shoulder and Dorian tensed up. He could feel the contempt the other blademasters had for him dripping off them, even with their masks still on. "We're not stupid Dorian, we know exactly what's going on." the blademaster spoke quietly, "The specialised training sessions you've been having with the Master?"_

_Dorian looked around. The other blademasters had their hands on the hilts of their windcleavers thereatingly. "You don't **deserve** it." the blademaster continued, coldly. "There's nothing special about you. The only reason you were selected at all is because the Master never had children. None of us will ever recognise you as Kohga."_)

Dorian tiredly ran his hands over his face. It was true. He really couldn't blame the other blademasters resentment of him. There really was nothing special about him. Dorian had started life as any other ordinary trainee, just like them. He had had the best marks of his class in almost every field, sure, but that didn't really mean anything. It just meant that he had worked hard to reach that point. He had even been cutting hours of his sleep, just to return to the training rooms to practice his archery, hand to hand combat and rune magic alone, thinking nothing more of his dream to one day reach that coveted blademaster position. Dorian had even been paired up with the lowest ranking trainee in their class, Bant, with their blademaster teachers hoping that some of his talent and hard work would rub off on the other trainee.

And then he had even been sent off on that spying mission at Kakariko and he still vividly remembered his reaction to being told he was having his blademaster training (that had only just started!) cut short for it. Dorian had never argued with the blademasters before in his entire life, but he had howled frantically that he didn't _want_ to go to Kakariko, what was the point? It wasn't like they were going to learn anything important anyway. The Champions were dead. The Royal Family was long gone. The Hero was _dead_. He had been backhanded roughly by the blademaster for his insolence and told that it was orders from the top, from Master Kohga himself. He had quieted down immediately and accepted his new mission, even if meant his dream would have to be put on hold for the time being even as he grit his teeth behind his mask, thinking of the Master.

( _Dorian was still just a trainee.. no, even younger then that. He must have only been six years old at the time, having not officially started his proper footsoldier training yet. As Dorian looked outwards into the open area behind the hideout and that.. hole in the center of it, his hands tightened on the door that had led out to the open area. His hands still burned terribly from the events here a few days ago, and he knew he would be in serious trouble if he was discovered here, but he forced himself forwards anyway as he walked out into the open area, looking up at the red moon above him._

_The blood moon.. there had been others of course, before this moment, but this was the first one he had ever actually seen with his own two eyes. His hands burned terribly as he looked at the bright red moon, and he looked down at the purple marks covering them.. the malice burns that covered the entire of his tiny hands. Dorian wanted to see it for himself, the blood moon, when it was said that the Calamity's power was the strongest. When even the monsters that roamed Hyrule were revived._

_"Hey." a voice suddenly called out to him, and Dorian startled, turning around. "What are you doing in my napping spot?!" Behind him all of a sudden was Master Kohga himself, and a terrible fear shot through the child as he trembled. He was going to get thrown down the hole for his insolence. "Wait a minute.." Kohga muttered as he bent down to the young trainee, "I know you, you're that kid from the other day hm.." Kohga stretched out, yawning, "What was your name again? Bant or something?"_

_Dorian choked out. He didn't want to be compared to Bant of all people! "N-no Master Kohga sir! It's Dorian!"_

_"That's right, Dorian." the Master let out a hum as the tall chubby leader of the Yiga Clan sat down on the ground, leaning on one arm on his side as he looked outwards at the boy. Dorian had never personally met the man before, but looking at him here, how different he was to the blademasters, he found him rather undignified. Was this really the great and powerful Master Kohga that all the trainees reveered so much? "What are you doing out here anyway Dorian? If one of my blademasters catches you, you'll be in serious trouble you know."_

_"I.. I know sir." Dorian rubbed one of his injured hands with the other, even as pain shot through him. "I just.. I wanted to see the blood moon for myself."_

_"Oh yeah?" Kohga glanced up at it, "It sure is pretty ain't it?" Kohga sat up again, crossing his legs as he pat the ground next to him, signaling for Dorian to come sit next to him, "Come here kid, you've caught me in a good mood tonight, so let's watch it together."  
_

_Dorian blinked, "A..are you sure Master? Am I not in trouble?"_

_"Nah." Kohga let out a loud yawn, "Nothing wrong with wanting to see the blood moon after all. It just proves your devotion to the Great Calamity after all." Kohga shifted his mask a little and scratched under it on his face. Dorian could what looked like a terrible scar what little he could see of the man's face and his own hands burned a little more. "If one of my blademasters spots you, I'll vouch for you, they won't punish you if I get involved." Dorian nodded and hurried to Kohga's side, sitting right next to the Master as the two looked out at the blood moon in silence._

_Evantually, even the sky itself started to turn red, small red particles swirling around them and Dorian shakily raised a hand towards a particle, even as terror filled his heart at the sight of it. Next to him, Kohga grabbed his arm, moving his hand forward to touch the particle, but it shimmered and passed through him. Nethertheless, the malice burns on Dorian's hands burned terribly and he winced with the pain._

_Kohga was looking at the blood moon, "Beautiful isn't it Dorian?" he murmured softly, and Dorian looked at him. It was like the Master was a completely different person now then the tired old man he had been before. "Those little particles.. they're said to be some form of malice, not pure malice, but malice none the less. They cover the entirety of Hyrule on the night of the blood moon, restoring the slain monsters of the Calamity's forces back to life. Even if you completely destroy a monster's body, it doesn't matter. They return to life all the same."_

_The man turned to Dorian and he could practically feel the glee radiating off him, "Want to know a secret Dorian?" The trainee nodded, depsite the terror he was feeling, finding himself unable to speak. "The malice that revives monsters.. that comes from the Calamity itself.. it actually runs through our bodies too, yours, mine, every single Yiga Clan member."_

_Dorian jolted. What?! That made no sense! They were people who served the Calamity that was true, but they weren't monsters! Kohga chuckled, "I know, you must not understand now. But I guarantee you, it's the truth." Kohga stood up, spreading his arms out as he looked out towards the blood moon. "For you see, we Yiga Clan members are directly descended from the Great Calamity itself!"_

_"I.." Dorian stammered, "I thought we were descended from the Sheikah?"_

_Kohga let out a tsk, crossing his arms, "That's true too. We're descended from both of them. We have our miserable human bodies of the Sheikah, but it's our blood that's different you see, as it's the Calamity's malice running through our veins." Kohga sat back down, pointing to the particles of unpure malice swirling around them, "See, the malice inside of us has been modified, not unlike those particles, to better handle our unpure wretched bodies." Dorian looked at Kohga helplessly, his young mind struggling to cope with that he was being told as he wrapped one hand around his trainee outfit. "Don't worry if you don't understand now, you'll learn more from your blademaster teachers as you get older." Kohga waved a hand at him. "But that's why we have the purifcation ritual, to reaffirm and prove our blood devotion to the Calamity."_

_"Wait.. wait." Dorian looked up, "But we accept non Sheikah in our clan." He'd already met one, an older Hylian who worked in the infirmary, who had apparantly been with the Clan since he was a child. He knew of others too, only Hylians at this point, who had joined._

_"And why shouldn't we?" Kohga crossed his arms, sitting next to Dorian again. "It's been ten thousand years since our clan was formed Dorian, and we'll exist for another ten thousand years more. What happened to us was a slow process, but it can happen to anyone, even non Sheikah." Kohga looked out at the blood moon, "Dorian, we Yiga Clan.. we're one of **family**. Even if it's not by direct blood. There are Yiga with us who came from Sheikah who defected to our side after all, those who directly didn't come from our great ancestor, and we accepted them anyway. There's no difference between them and the other races in the end." Kohga looked to Dorian, and there was a serious expression radiating from him, "As long as non Sheikah purify themselves and prove their devotion to our great ancestor the Calamity, then their purified malice will pass to their descendents and make the Yiga Clan even greater."_

_Kohga placed his hands out to the boy and.. Dorian reached out, placing his own injured hands on top of Kohga's. "We've already won Dorian. The other tribes, they will understand that in due time and come and join us. I want to make the Yiga Clan a powerful and great tribe consisting of all the races of Hyrule united as one under our great ancestor the Calamity." Dorian looked at Kohga.. and he finally understood why the rest of the clan loved him so. "Will you help me Dorian? Will you help me make the Yiga Clan the best it can possibly be, so we can exist for another ten thousand years?"_

_The six year old trainee looked at the inverted eye mask of Kohga's.. and the blood moon above him. And Dorian nodded. "Yes sir Master Kohga."_ )

Dorian opened his grey eyes, letting out a shaky breath as his hands trembled. The malice burns from them was long gone, but he could swear they almost hurt once more as he thought of that memory. He could only guess at what had happened to Kohga when he younger, if it was anything like his own childhood, but the longer he spent with him, he could tell that the elderly Master wasn't quite all there anymore. It's no wonder he was looking for someone to replace him.

A sharp knock at Dorian's door made him look up and he quickly grabbed his mask, locking it back into place on his face as he discarded what little left he had of his meal. "Who is it?"

"Yo, Dorian, it's just me, open up will you?"

..Bant? What was _he_ doing here? They had been icy with each other for _years_ since Dorian had first officially become a a blademaster. And what had happened a few months ago near Birida Lookout hadn't helped things. Dorian sighed, moving to stand up, unlocking the door and opening it up. Bant grinned at him and Dorian couldn't help but growl. Of course the dumbass wasn't wearing his mask. Dorian roughly grabbed the front of Bant's outfit as he pulled him into his room, locking the door again behind him.

Dorian crossed his arms, as he looked at the footsoldier, "What do you want Bant? You let one of the other blademasters see you without your mask and you'll be punished again, you know that right."

"Yeah yeah I know." Bant whistled as he looked around the mess in Dorian's room. "Wow, Dorian, this isn't like you at all. You're usually so neat and orderly." Bant looked at him and grinned, "Has the Hero's reappearance really got you this worked up huh?"

Dorian's fingers tightened around his upper arm. " _What do you want Bant?_ " he spat. "I'm rather busy here, in case you haven't noticed."

Bant sat on Dorian's bed, crossing his legs, "I just think it's pretty funny that's all." he laughed rubbing the small beard he had on his unmasked face, "We really should have followed up on that footsoldier's warning five months ago, huh?" he shrugged, "Then we probably wouldn't be in the prediciment we're in now."

Dorian tensed. His windcleaver was on the floor somewhere in his mess of a room. "What's your point?" He growled.

Bant looked at him and there was a serious expression in his eyes that was so unlike him. "So when were you going to tell me anyway? I know we haven't got along recently, but we were still _partners_ weren't we?" Dorian glanced at the report right by Bant and the Hero's portrait on it. He did not want to have to deal with getting rid of a body right now. It was too early and he was too tired for this. He glared viciously at Bant through his mask, and hoped the failed blademaster could feel the contempt that was coming off him for dragging this whole thing out.

" _You.._ " Bant suddenly jumped up and there were tears flooding his eyes. Dorian startled, "You're being trained by Master Kohga to become the new Master, and you never even _told me_!" Oh. For a moment he had thought.. 

Dorian uncrossed his arms as he unconsciously relaxed. "How did you even find out about.." he sighed, "It doesn't matter. It has nothing to do with a _footsoldier_."

"Maybe not any footsoldier, but I was your partner!" Bant grabbed on Dorian's arm and he startled, stepping back a little in disgust. "Please _please_ tell me you're going to get rid of the purification ritual when you become Master."

Dorian looked at him in disgust, "Why would I do that. The purification ritual is an honoured tradition of the Yiga Clan."

" _Come on Dorian!_ " Bant cried out, "I know you remember that night after we went through ours. You were trying to hide it, but I could _hear_ you crying from the pain in your bed!"

Dorian roughly pulled his arm away from Bant, "I was a chi-- _trainee_." he quickly corrected himself, "That was all. I've gotten over it, why haven't you?"

Bant let out a sound of disgust and Dorian glared at him, "I can't believe you would keep-- you _must_ realise how much it's hurting our trainees, going through that at such a young age! At.." Bant struggled with himself, "At least make it so we're older then six years old! Maybe.. maybe make it part of the graduation ceremony instead? When we're older and it's easier to deal with! Maybe then so many of us wouldn't _die_!" Dorian stepped forward, roughly backhanding the footsoldier who staggered back. Bant put a hand to his slapped face, staring at Dorian in shock.

"Are you done?" Dorian spoke coldly.

"Wh.." Bant stared at him, as he rubbed his face. The was a look of utter shock on Bant's face, as if he was staring at Dorian for the first time, "what's _wrong_ with you Dorian? Please tell me you don't _believe_ all this nonsense we were told as trainees? 'We're descended from the Calamity. We have malice in our blood. We shed our names and become just like monsters.. monsters don't have names, and neither do we.'"

"Watch your tongue." The blademaster spat.

"Dorian. We were _tortured_. Surely you must understand that by now?"

Dorian grabbed the front of Bant's footsoldier outfit as he slammed him roughly against the wall of his room, just like he had five months ago. Bant groaned as his old back slammed into the wall. At least it wasn't rock this time. "If you don't like it, _why don't you leave_?!" The future Master of the Yiga Clan roared out. "If you hate the Clan so much, why don't you go and join those Sheikah traitors back in Kakariko?!" he quickly used magnesis to call his windcleaver to him, pressing the blade to Bant's throat. "But you wouldn't do that would you, Bant. You know what happens to Yiga traitors after all. You're too much of a _coward_ to leave."

Bant looked up at him and there was pain in his eyes. "..Karusa Valley is my home." he said quietly, "It's all I've ever known. I don't _want_ to leave." Dorian scoffed as he dropped Bant to the floor and the footsoldier groaned out. Well, they'd just have to see about that wouldn't they? Dorian reached for his mask, pulling it off in one swipe and Bant's eyes widened as he looked upon his ex partner's face.

It was just as hardened as Bant remembered, the dyed black hair and beard traditional to all Yiga Clan members, the wrinkles on his middle aged face befitting of someone in his mid fourties.. but on the left side of his face.. Bant raised a hand to his mouth in shock. There was an awful purple burn mark.. a malice burn. But it had been stylized into the Yiga Clan symbol, the inverted eye, with the iris of the eye itself being Dorian's own grey eye.

Bant felt sick to his stomach. He must have specficially dropped malice onto his face to cause such a stylized burn. He genuinely hoped Master Kohga hadn't forced him to do that to himself. Dorian placed the mask back on his face, locking it back into place. "Get _out_." He spat and Bant didn't need to be told twice, getting to his feet and shakily unlocking it before running out the door.

\---

In front of the entrance to Gerudo Town, the two Gerudo guards Merina and Dorrah had their spears pressed together in front of the entrance. "No voe allowed!" Merina yelled at the group of merchants who had come up from Kara Kara Bazaar.

"But we've got special stuff to trade!" one of the merchants tried to explain, "Anyone would want the stuff we have! Special ingredients you can't get here in the desert.. and gemstones! You girls like gemstones right?" Dorrah growled angrily and one of the other merchants pulled on his sleeve, "Stop.. I think you're making her even more angry.."

"I don't care what you have." Dorrah said, "You can go trade in Kara Kara Bazaar with the other voe. It's old Gerudo tradition and we don't break it for _anyone_ , no voe allowed inside the walls, under any circumstance!" She looked behind her shoulder at the Hylian who was running around the front of the town's walls. "You hear that Bozai? That goes double for you too."

Bozai, a Hylian with long black hair, glasses and thick Hylian clothing just smiled at her. "Gladly! It's not like I _want_ to go to Gerudo Town anyway butttt.." he slid up to Dorrah and the Gerudo looked grossed out, "I'll be convinced to leave much easier, if you just went on a little date with me~"

"Ugh." Merina glared at him, and even the merchants at the gate looked appalled at their fellow Hylian. Dorrah took her spear, shoving the hilt into Bozai's chest as she pushed the Hylian away from her. "Ahaha!" Bozai laughed, "I love when you feisty Gerudo play hard to get!" he began running again away from the entrance, waving at them before he he turned away to the side of the town.

The main merchant looked at the two guards sympathetically, the look of annoyance having disappeared from his face. "I can see why you don't allow men in your town, if you're having to deal with ones like that all the time."

Dorrah sighed, rubbing her eyes, "That's not.." It would be too long and convoluted to tell a random Hylian the entire Gerudo history. "Look, it doesn't matter alright. You understand now about our voe rule? Then you can leave." The merchants muttered to themselves for a while before heading back to Kara Kara Bazaar.

Meanwhile, still running around Gerudo Town, Bozai.. or rather Dorian hidden in his disguise magic was shuddering. He _hated_ playing roles like that. Still, he'd gotten the Gerudo's attention away from him. If they thought that's all he was, they wouldn't be suspicious of him at all. Dorian sat down for a rest and while the guard wasn't looking, created another bomb with his rune magic, placing it down and covering sand over it right by the wall of Gerudo Town, before jumping back up and continuing to run around. Dorian continued at this for a while. Whenever it felt like the guards were watching him, he'd run over and play his little desperate shtick for them until they roughly pushed him away and he'd continue planting bombs.

When he felt like he had enough, he stopped running on the sand, backing away from the town as he looked back at it. Unlike a lot of Yiga who had severe animosity towards the Gerudo due to the fact that they both lived in the desert and were always getting in the way of each other (the Gerudo especially liked to stop them from stealing their beloved mighty bananas), Dorian had no strong feelings about them either way. He actually felt kind of bad for what he was about to do. But he didn't really have a choice in the matter. Without the Thunder Helm, there was no way Link would ever be able to get to Vah Naboris. And.. regardless, Dorian needed it anyway, if his plans were to work.

Dorian snapped his fingers, setting off every single bomb at once, the loud explosions rocking the town as smoke started to billow in and out of the town. He leapt into action at once, teleporting into the town amongst the chaos.

\---

The Gerudo Captain Teake coughed as she struggled to move around in the soldier's barracks. She couldn't see thanks to all the smoke all over the town. But she could hear was the panicked screaming from the Gerudo people as she desperately searched for her soldiers, calling out for them.

Then she heard a voice somewhere near her, "Riju! _RIJU!!_ " that was Buliara's voice. Teake's heart leapt in her throat as her hand went to her moonlight scimitar. "Buliara!" she called out for the Gerudo Chief's guard as she tried to make her way around the smoke to the stairs leading to the throne room. There was a person near her and she pulled out the scimitar, raising it up. She also heard the sound of a weapon being drawn, and as a bit of the smoke cleared away she found herself right next to Buliara. The both had their weapons drawn, Buliara's golden claymore and her own moonlight scimitar raised at each other and they hurriedly put the two weapons down as they moved back to back, raising their weapons again.

"Where's our Chief?"

"I.. I don't know." Buliara admitted, terror in her usually calm voice. "Riju said she wasn't feeling well and retreated to her room yesterday, but I just checked up on her and she's _gone_!"

Teake's hand tightened on her scimitar, "Do you think the Yiga Clan would have kidnapped her, as a hostage?"

Buliara hissed, "They wouldn't. We've always had bad blood between us, but surely they're not that stupid. It would become an all out _war_ between us."

"The Thunder Helm then?"

"Most likely." they backed up, still watching each others backs as they approached the Chief's throne in the center of the room. The Thunder Helm, a beautiful golden helmet and a special artifact of the Gerudo tribe that was passed down from Chief to Chief was still on it's pedestal. Teake sighed out.

Then suddenly a voice spoke out to them, "I'll be taking that Helm, if you don't mind."

Teake and Buliara looked up in shock. On the ceiling there was a tall Yiga blademaster, his arms crossed as he stood on the ceiling of the throne room, looking down at them, his feet stuck to the ceiling with with his twisted Yiga magic. Both Gerudo raised their weapons, "No you won't traitorous Yiga scum!"

The blademaster teleported from the ceiling, red talismans surrounding him and the two Gerudo span wildly. There was too much smoke, they couldn't see anything. Buliara heard a sound near her and raised her golden claymore charging forwards and slashing it through the smoke. But there was nothing there. Her eyes widened and she suddenly heard a yell behind her, "Teake!" she turned around, but the blademaster had reappeared between them, kicking his legs out right into her stomach, throwing the Gerudo Captain backwards back into soldier's barracks behind them. Buliara growled and raised her golden claymore to the blademaster's back, but he lifted one finger and all of a sudden there was a strange blue barrier between them. Her claymore was repelled back, as she staggered backwards, looking back up at the odd barrier with wide eyes. Some sort of shield magic? That was new. None of the Yiga who her scouts had reported on had that kind of magic. Her eyes narrowed as she tightened her hands on the hilt of her claymore.

"Are you the Yiga Clan leader?"

The blademaster turned to face her, unresponsive to her question as he raised two fingers and Buliara's eyes widened as the shield suddenly was moved towards her, forcing her back. She yelled out as she was pressed into the wall by the odd barrier, her claymore dropping from her hands and clanging to the floor. She couldn't even move a muscle! What kind of magic _was_ this?

In front of her, the blademaster stood back up to his full height, moving towards the Helm with outstretched fingers. Teake screamed out as she charged back into the throne room, raising her scimitar up high, but the blademaster was quicker, pulling out his windcleaver as the two weapons clashed against each other.

"Where's our Chief, you scum?!" Teake screamed out as the two blades crashed against each other.

The blademaster laughed, "How would I know? I'm not interested in your little Chief, just the Thunder Helm. If you've lost your Chief that's all on _you_ Solder Captain Teake and Guard Captain Buliara."

Buliara's eyes widened. This Yiga knew their names and titles. Still, she concentrated on her task. _That's right Teake, keep him talking._ Buliara thought to herself as she flexed her hands, pushing desperately with all her might on the barrier.

"Where's the rest of your Clan?!" Teake yelled out as the continued to clash.

"No-one else is here. It's just me."

"You expect me to believe that?! That just one Yiga blademaster could do all this!"

"Hm. What can I say? I'm just that good at my job."

"Not good enough!" Buliara spat as she raised her golden claymore, now free from the shield, and both Gerudo charged forwards to the Yiga blademaster. They had him trapped now, with Teake still clashing their blades together. He wouldn't be able to signal to teleport away.

( _"Where are you taking me Kiyah?" Dorian asked, unable to see anything through the cloth she had placed over his eyes. He could sense they were heading up the path behind their home that led to the Sheikah shrine, their hands clasped together as Kiyah walked forwards and he followed. "Don't you know what a surprise is Dorian?" Kiyah asked, "I wouldn't have covered your eyes if I wanted you to see before hand."_

_Dorian thought of the infant Koko back in their home. They had the girl from the armour shop Lasli looking after her right now. Was whatever Kiyah wanted to show him really that important that they were seperated from her right now? Still, they continued forwards to the shrine, before heading east to the little forest just behind the village, before they came to a stop._

_Kiyah spoke to him quietly, "Stay here, and make sure you keep quiet Dorian, we don't want to scare them away alright?" Them? Who were them? "And keep your eyes covered until I say so, okay?" Kiyah dropped Dorian's hand as she continued forwards. Dorian remained where he was. Kiyah was always showing him odd little things these days. Like the strange bugs and critters that lived in Kakariko like those fireflies that swarmed the village at night, or a new recipe she had discovered when out travelling when she was younger (he didn't care what she made though. If she made it then it was bound to be delicious). He heard Kiyah heading back up to him slowly and raised his head. "Can I look now Kiyah?"_

_"Yes." he pulled the cloth from his eyes, seeing the mother of his child (his wife? Is that what he should be calling her now? It's not like they had properly got married after all..) Kiyah had her hands clasped together in front of her, a wide smile on her face. "I can't believe I actually managed to catch one Dorian. I've been trying for a while now."_

_Dorian looked at her and she carefully opened her fingers. Inside her hands there was a small creature he didn't recognise. It sort of looked like the fireflies that swarmed Kakariko at nighttime. But it wasn't nighttime right now, it was the middle of the day. And it wasn't green, it was.. pink? With little wings coming off it._

_Dorian looked at Kiyah's smiling face, "Kiyah what **is** that?"_

_"It's a fairy!"_

_"A.. what?" What was a fairy? He was pretty sure he knew about all the critters of Hyrule at this point, but he had never heard of such a thing before. Kiyah came up to him, raising his hands as she placed the small creature in his clasped hands. Dorian stared. The glow was surprisingly warm._

_"Fairies used to more common in ancient times, now they're very rare." Kiyah said quietly, "In the stories my father told me, it was said there was a tribe long ago who had a codependent relationship with fairies, which gifted them special abilities that they were never able to achieve on their own." Kiyah looked up, her red eyes soft as they looked at each other. "You know Dorian.." she continued, "It's said that only those who are pure of heart can see a fairy."_

_Oh. **Oh**. That's why she wanted him to see it. Dorian shut his eyes, a guilty look on his face as he glanced away from her. "Well that can't be true then." he said quietly. He wasn't pure. Monsters that had the Calamity's malice running through their veins could never be pure._

_"Dorian." Kiyah pulled her face towards him, and he reopened his grey eyes looking at her red ones. She really was too good for someone like him. "I've already told you haven't I? Tell me, do you look at Koko and see a monster?"_

_"No!" Dorian cried out, aghast, "Of course not, Koko is--"_

_"Koko is just like you." Kiyah said quietly as she placed her hands on his cheeks, pressing their foreheads together, "She looks so much like you Dorian. I'll tell you over and over again, until you finally get it through that thick head of yours. You're not a monster Dorian. You're a person.._ _a fellow Hyrulean.. just like me." Kiyah smiled at him, “You, me, Koko.. we’re **family**.”_)

Dorian screamed out as he threw his windcleaver forwards at Teake, raising both hands as he formed two barriers at once, pushing them into the two Gerudo at either side of him, throwing both of them back to the walls. Dorian staggered forwards, the world was spinning around him. He'd used too much magic again today, with the bombs and barriers and the teleporting.. not good enough. He still wasn't _good enough_. Still, he grimaced as he kept his eyes on the prize: the Thunder Helm just ahead of him and he reached out for it. Then he would grab his windcleaver, with Kiyah's cloth from that first day they had met still wrapped around it's hilt.

He had believed he would never meet that Sheikah again, and yet.. for some reason he had kept it long after he had returned to Kurasa Valley. Even though he had felt guilt every time he looked at the cloth. He wasn't supposed to have feelings like that. After he had returned the second time and was finally given the windcleaver he had dreamed about for years, despite himself he had tied the cloth to the hilt. When the other blademasters had asked about it, Dorian had made up a story that he had killed a Sheikah who had discovered his identity back in Kakariko and had taken it as a prize. They had seemed satisfied with that, even congratulated him on killing one of those traitorous Sheikah.

As he grabbed onto the Thunder Helm, lifting it off the pedestal, suddenly there were Gerudo soldiers around him, aiming their golden bows directly at him. Dorian desperately looked at his windcleaver still on the floor, now closer to the soldiers then it was to him, and as they fired their arrows, he summoned his magic, still holding tightly onto the Thunder Helm as he teleported away back to Kurasa Valley. Some of their arrows even managed to pierce his back. But he didn't care. Dorian didn't even feel the pain at all as he tumbled forwards into the Valley just in front of the Yiga hideout entrance, his mask falling off him as slumped onto his side. He could feel his blood.. no, his _malice_.. escaping from the pierced wounds on his back onto the ground as he weakly looked at the Thunder Helm still clasped in his hands, a low chuckle escaping his throat.

"Dorian! _Dorian_!" Ah. That was Bant's voice. He was on guard duty today then. Dorian tried to look up at the footsoldier and found he couldn't move. There was a panicked look on Bant's face as he looked backwards behind at other Yiga who had left the hideout, "Quick, someone go get the medics and Master Kohga, _NOW_!!" What a stern voice his partner had developed. He almost sounded like a blademaster then. Exhaustion was overtaking him and Dorian's eyes started to shut. Tired. He was so _tired_.

"Dorian, no no!! Come on, stay awake!!" It was fine Bant, you don't need to be so worried. After all, if he died here now, the blood moon would just revive him anyway.. Dorian shut his eyes as he completely blacked out, the darkness fully overtaking him.


	21. Yiga Clan Hideout Part I

Link and her new Gerudo friend rushed into the side entrance of Gerudo Town. There was still tons of smoke billowing in and out of the town and Link stopped in her tracks, looking around the town. The marketplace was a _mess_. Stalls had been upheaved, their wares spilled onto the ground. There were groups of Gerudo, children included, huddled together coughing terribly, even with their mouths covered. Link only needed one look at the smoke to see it wasn't natural. Rune magic had caused this. She was reminded of the images Chi had shown her on Eventide, the only rune she hadn't had on the slate.

Somehow, Link immediately knew who had had probably done this and felt sick. She hoped she was wrong. She understood more now about the slate and it's powers then ever before, as it hummed on her side. In front of her, her new Gerudo friend looked wildly to the groups of Gerudo before her head turned to the largest center building at the end of the town. Grabbing Link's hand once more, the Gerudo ran forwards, "Come on Link, we need to get to the throne room!"

Link stared at the girl confused but followed anyway as they rushed up the stairs leading to the largest building and the girl cried out, "Buliara! Buliara, are you here?!"

There was suddenly a large imposing Gerudo lady running down the stairs leading to the building's second floor. She was carrying one of the biggest weapons Link had ever seen, a beautiful two handed claymore adorned with the symbol of the Gerudo, with a golden hilt. Her new Gerudo friend rushed to the lady.. Buliara's side, hugging her as Buliara wrapped her own shaky arms around the young girl. "Thank the Seven Heroines.. I was so worried something had happened to you."

" _You_ were worried?!" Buliara cried out, "Where have you _been_ Riju?! I've been looking all over the town for you! We were starting to think that the Yiga Clan truly had kidnapped you!"

"Uh.." Link had thought she was confused before, but now looking at her new friend.. Riju the older Gerudo had said, she felt lost. Buliara's head looked up, locking eyes with Link as she suddenly pulled the small Gerudo child behind her back, raising her claymore at her, "Halt stranger! Who are you?!"

There were suddenly Gerudo soldiers around (she hadn't even noticed them) their bows raised at her and Link looked around wildly as she shook.

"Stop!!" Riju cried out, as she tried to rush to Link's side even as Buliara held her back though. "It's okay Buliara, this is my Hylian friend Link, she was looking out for me in the desert." Riju looked at Link, panic in her green eyes, "Show Buliara the slate, she'll know what it is!"

Link raised the slate for Buliara to see and the Gerudo's eyes widened, rushing to her side. "Stop, all of you at once! That's the Hylian Hero!!"

\---

( _He still remembered it vividly: the first time he had ever been introduced to the proper concept of a 'family'. It had been a while yet before he had met Kiyah, it probably hadn't been that long since he first became a footsoldier. Him and Bant had been on a regular ambush mission and, in their disguises, had headed to a stable to rest for the night. They had seen them then, the Hylian parent and child who had stayed the night in the stable. Dorian and Bant had kept their distance, trying to keep a low profile as the parent and child argued about what to have for dinner._

_"Wow, that Hylian blademaster is so tolerant." Bant had whistled, "If I was that trainee, I would have punished tenfold by now."_

_"'Hylian blade--'" Dorian stared at Bant, disgusted, "Are you serious, Bant? Don't you remember **anything** about your training about how to fit in with Hylians? You keep talking like that, and people are going to figure out who we really are."_

_"Ah ah~" Bant patted him on the shoulder. "But that's why I have **you** as my partner Dorian. You can remember all the important stuff like how to fit in properly, and I can just stay with you and not speak." Dorian pulled away from his partner, disgusted. Bant really was **useless**. He didn't even **try**._

_"You're going to get kicked out of the footsoldier program, one day, you realise that right Bant?" even as Dorian berated Bant for what felt like the twentieth time that day, out of the corner of his eye he watched the two Hylians, as the parent finally relented, cooking two meals, one for himself and one for his child. As the Hylian parent placed a hand on his child's shoulder and they looked up at the stars as they ate their meals, Dorian found his heart **burned** with a feeling he didn't recognise._

_Evantually he had realised though, as he lay in the bed in the stable that night with his partner snoring loudly next to him, looking up at the stable ceiling, finding himself unable to sleep.. that feeling had been **envy**._

_When he had returned to the base after that mission, Dorian had started taking extra notice of the blademasters. He had never seen a single one of them without their masks. Even if he had, would he even recognise if one of them looked similiar to him? Maybe he had already met his parents and hadn't even known about it. He wondered about the gruelling training they had gone through as trainees, every time he had seen someone slip up and was punished.. watching his fellow trainees cry out as they were taken to the purification chamber. Had the blademasters been punishing their own children and done it anyway?_

_He had no concept of the idea of what a family truly meant at that point in time, but over time (before that spying mission at Kakariko) Dorian would sometimes pass Master Kohga in the halls of the hideout and the elderly master would compliment his work (even if he seemed to never remember Dorian's name at first), and Dorian's affection for their Master grew with each little meeting between them._

_He didn't know how, but somehow over the years.. Dorian had started to see Master Kohga.. as his.._ )

Dorian gasped as his eyes flew open, finding himself laying stomach down on a bed in the infirmary, becoming aware of the pain in his back as the elderly Hylian Yiga medic carefully cut around the skin, to pull the arrow heads out of his back. The elderly Hylian spoke out to him, "How much drugs do I actually have to put in you before you actually stay unconscious during an operation?"

Dorian's eyes turned to the Yiga medic, "Dot." the name escaped his mouth before he could stop it.

The Yiga medic grimaced as he continued to work on Dorian's back, "You don't have to call me by that wretched Hylian name. I abandoned it and my heritage long before you were born after all, when your Clan saved my life as a child." He focused on his work and Dorian grit his teeth in pain as the small surgical knife pulled out the final arrow head from his back, dropping it into the others in the pan beside him, "I only serve the Great Calamity, Master Kohga and the Yiga Clan now. And.." Dot glanced at Dorian, "One day I hope to seve you well too, until the day I die, young master."

Dorian grimaced at the title. Who was going around telling others in the clan about this whole situation? The last he knew, it was only himself, Master Kohga and a few of the top blademasters who knew about it. With the last of the arrow heads gone from his back and once the medic had fully bandaged the wounded area, Dorian tried to push himself up onto his elbows, but found his arms were tied to the bed.

Dot looked at him sympathetically as he put away his surgical tools, moving to take away the pan with the bloodied arrow heads in it. "I apologise, young master, but everytime you've been brought here to my infimary from exhaustion recently, you've always left without being fully recovered. Now that I know exactly _why_ you've been exhausted all the time, I've been given specific orders from the Master himself. You're not allowed to leave here until you've fully recovered."

Dorian slumped back down to the bed, pressing his unmasked face into the pillow. No, no! He had no time to rest now. Not when he finally had the Thunder-- Dorian's head shot up as he looked around. "Where's the Thunder Helm?!"

"Right here." a voice spoke out, and Dorian looked over to where the voice had come from, on the opposite side of the Yiga medic. Laying in the bed next to him, slumped over on one elbow was Master Kohga himself. The elderly leader of the Yiga Clan was scratching the scars on his face with his free hand with such vigour, that Dorian was almost afraid he was going to scratch his whole face off.

On the bedside table between their beds, lay both Dorian and Kohga's masks, as well as the prize he had worked so hard to retrieve.. the Thunder Helm. Dot quickly excused himself, bowing to the current leader of the Yiga clan and the future one, leaving the two men alone in the room

"What.." Kohga said quietly, and Dorian could hear the restrained fury in his voice as he seemingly tried to control himself, "were you _thinking_ Dorian?"

Dorian shivered, despite himself, his own grey eyes locked onto Kohga's also grey eyes. "With all due respect Master Kohga, I got the Thunder Helm did I not?"

"Just barely. You should have at least taken other blademasters with you. Going it alone was beyond _reckless_. You could have _died_."

Dorian pressed his face to the pillow, gritting his teeth together. No. Even if they had agreed to it (which they probably wouldn't have considering how much they resented him right now. One of them almost certainly would have wanted to be the main leader in the ambush instead), he couldn't risk the damage they could have caused to the town.. and the lives that would have almost certainly been lost. The relationship between the Gerudo and the Yiga Clan was bad enough already. He couldn't risk an outright _war_ with the Gerudo when he was this close to the fruition of his plans.

Kohga sighed as he got up from the other bed, reaching out for his mask as he locked into place over his face, and then approached the bed. He seemed hesitant at first.. before he reached out and placed a hand to Dorian's shoulder. Dorian tried not to tense up as he kept his face pressed down to the pillow.

"Still.." Kohga murmured quietly, "I can't believe you've managed to do what countless other Yiga had tried in the past and failed to do. I knew you were _special_ Dorian, you've constantly worked hard not only to reach your own goals, and our shared dream, but this.." ( _Don't. Don't you **dare**._) Dorian could feel the bile rise up in this throat. The hatred inside him was burning like a wildfire. He hated this. All of this. "I am so _proud_ of you Dorian."

\---

Riju paced around the interior of her room and Link watched her from the sofa in front of her bed. Riju had changed into her usual attire, beautiful Gerudo clothing, jewelery and a special golden crown that made her appear taller then she actually was. Link was honestly overwhelmed by all the grandeur. She had believed the Gerudo child was just any other child, but instead she had turned out to be the Chief of the entire Gerudo. Link's hands tightened on the slate. Seemed she was fated to keep on meeting the relatives of the Champions. Sidon, Mipha's brother. Yunobo, Daruk's grandson and now Riju..

"Oh no!" Riju had laughed a little nervously when she had explained earlier, "I'm not actually _directly_ related to Lady Urbosa. The Gerudo Champion was too busy with both her Chief and Champion duties to even _think_ about having children. But Lady Urbosa had a little sister that not many knew about. I'm actually _her_ granddaughter." Riju looked down at her hands, "That's probably why I was never able to figure out Lady Urbosa's lightning power, since I'm not a direct descendant of hers."

Link's eyes had widened in response. Her and Riju were exactly the same. Well. _Almost_ exactly the same, Link pondered as she looked around the fancy room. A fancy four poster bed, massive bookcases, fountains and fancy carpets and drapery. Riju's home was _beautiful_. Link felt so out of place here. She just lived in a tiny hut home with her grandmother.

When Link had explained that she too was a non direct descendant of the Hylian Champion, Riju had looked at her sympathetically, "So you too understand what it's like to be compared to such a great Legendary Champion who you're not actually descended from." Riju sighed as she slumped back on the sofa, looking up at the ceiling of her room. "It's so hard, being compared to them all the time. My great aunt, the powerful Lady Urbosa, and mother too. They were such beloved Chiefs and I'm just.." she stopped, placing a hand over her mouth.

"..a kid?" Link continued, thinking of Yunobo back in Goron City, as well as Rito Village and more recently the Outskirt Stable. Riju looked embarassed as she glanced away. "But I'm their Chief too. I'm all they've _got_. I have to be _strong_ for them." Riju blamed herself for the Gerudo Town attack, even before as she handed the molduga guts to the crying Gerudo, Malena in the inn with Link and Buliara close. "If I ever have two vehvis, I will definetely name them after you two!"

Riju and Link had just glanced at other and it appeared they had had the same thought. Neither of them wanted some poor child to be burdened with their names. Link especially had grit her teeth together as she thought of her Zonai ancestry and that name 'Link' that had spiraled through Hyrule's history.

Now later on, as Link and Riju clasped hands sitting on the sofa together, Riju sighed out. "I don't know what we're going to do now.. with the Thunder Helm missing there's no way we're going to be able to get anywhere near Vah Naboris."

Link jolted, looking up at the Gerudo Chief who just smiled at her sadly, "I assume that's where you're going right? You've already freed the other Champions, it's just Lady Urbosa left right?"

"Yes but.." Link frowned, "Surely you're not going to come with me? You have a job to do here. You understand, you'll be in danger right?" As much as it had pained her, Link had explained what had happened to the other Champions, and Buliara as well as what the Soldier Captain Teake had had horrified expressions on their face at the realisation that their Hero and once Chief, the great Lady Urbosa, was now possessed by the Calamity, and had been so for almost the past one hundred years.

"I won't come with you all the way. Not into Vah Naboris. Buliara wouldn't allow it." Riju had explained, "But only a Chief of the Gerudo will be able to use the Thunder Helm to its full capabilities. If I don't use it, you'll be hit by powerful lightning strikes before you get anywhere close to Naboris.

When the two of them had stood at the end of the throne room and looked out of the large window at the Divine Beast Vah Naboris between Toruma Dunes and Dragon's Exile, Link had heard it.. singing in Gerudo language coming from the Divine Beast. She had no idea what the singing meant. It was funny, how Link knew an Ancient Sheikah language lost for ten thousand years, but not modern Gerudo outside of a few words like voe and vai.

Buliara had nodded, "I'm surprised you can hear it all the way from here. We can only usually hear it, right at the edge of the sandstorm." Link, with her blue eyes looked over at the Guard Captain. "I.. uh.. guess you can say that I have a connection to the Divine Beasts, as well as their Champions.." she spoke out as Link looked down at her hand, remembering seemingly when Mipha's healing power flowed through her.

Now on the sofa, Riju stepped away as Link shut her eyes as she concentrated her power through the furnaces and tried to make a connection with the final Champion, the Gerudo Chief Urbosa. She was so much stronger now, with the power of the three furnaces. Maybe if she could connect with Urbosa like she had with Revali back in Rito Village, Link could disconnect her from the furnace without having to go into enemy territory to retrieve the Thunder Helm. ( _"It's too dangerous." Buliara had said firmly. "We do not want to risk all out war with the Yiga Clan. Not right now, not with you here."_ ) Reaching for the Sheikah slate even with her eyes closed, she wrote Ancient Sheikah letters into the screen: ' **INITIATE CONNECTION TO VAH NABORIS** ' before tapping it as Riju's bedroom faded away..

( _Link gasped as she reappeared in the dark void. There was no memory of the castle here. No furnace. No Champion either. Link looked down at her malice infused hands. How many times was she going to appear in this form? Once upon a time, in Ruta, she had completely allowed this malice to consume her. Then again, in Rudania, she had remembered how safe and warm it had felt despite it's coldness. Thankfully nothing like that had happened with Medoh. By the time she had fully unlocked her powers and pressed her hand to Medoh's furnace, the dark void hadn't appeared at all. She had been too strong at that point. Link had just completely broke through it. Now finding herself in that malice again, Link suddenly found she.. was in denial. She was strong now. She shouldn't be here. No, she wasn't here at all, and she desperately tried to pull the malice from her._

_"No no!" Link cried out, looking out into the darkness, the malice gurgling in her throat, "I don't want to be here!" There was a presence near her and Link sharply turned around. The Sheikah boy with the Gerudo eyes. Where was he?_

_"Get out." it was a low deep voice. Older then the boy she had seen in Medoh._

_"Where are you?" Link gurgled. She had come to realise in the time that had passed.. that this boy.. had to be.._

_"Get. Out." the voice changed and it was guttural. Monster like. Choked in malice and hatred. Like the Champion's voices and her own had been._

_"No!" Link yelled out, as she tried to move forwards, even as the malice consumed her form. At that moment, the voice in the slate was blazing through her: 'You can't save everyone.'_

_She wouldn't accept it. There had to be a way. There just **had** to be._

_"GET!! **OUT**!!" Then she saw it. The great boar head of the Calamity itself as it charged at her and all she could see was the red sickly malice. Her hand raised up and suddenly there a person in front of her._

_Link startled. The dark void was still surrounding her, but it felt.. softer.. safer somehow. The malice was gone from her form and she looked up as she realised who was in front of her._

_"Uncle Link."_ )

' **SPIRITUAL CONNECTION TO VAH NABORIS LOST. MUST INITIATE DIRECT CONNECTION TO FURNACE.** ' The Ancient Sheikah words flashed onto the screen of the Sheikah slate as Link gasped, her eyes flying open and she suddenly retched, vomiting onto Riju's floor. Immediately Riju was at her side, patting her back. "Link!! Link are you ok--" Riju jumped back, horror in her eyes and Link looked down, startled. On Riju's floor, there was a sickly red substance that had been expelled from her mouth. _Malice_.

\---

Master Kohga hummed as he looked over the book of recipes that some footsoldiers had stolen at one point. Voltfruit, hydromelon, palm fruit.. how lame! He grabbed nine mighty bananas, peeling and chopping the fruit as he added it to the Yiga Clan's own personal cooking pot. The members who usually worked at preparing meals for the Clan looking over at their Master.

"What are you making Master?" one of them asked. "Surely we would be able to make it for you?"

"Ohoho~" Kohga just chuckled, not even looking over his shoulder at the kitchen staff as he stirred the pot with a ladle. "You'll just have to wait and see won't you?" the recipe also called for some rock salt, and luckily for them, they had a whole load of the stuff that usually went unused. (Rock salt was frequently dropped with gemstones after all, which the Yiga Clan hoarded like no tomorrow).

Kohga grabbed some of the rock salt, adding it to the pot as he gave it another stir cooking the bananas just enough so that the bananas turned into a mushy liquid form. Then he pulled out a glass, using the ladle to pour the liquid into the glass. "Behold!" the master of the Yiga Clan grinned under his mask as he raised it up, "Master Kohga's own patented recipe: the Mighty Pursuit!"

One of the masked Yiga members jolted as he approached Kohga's side, "What, like a Noble Pursuit?"

"With a banana spin of course. You're the expert, Arbiter, have a taste!"

( _The Yiga Clan members completely surrounded the Gerudo who was wandering up Kurasa Valley with nothing but a backpack. "Explain yourself Gerudo." a blademaster hissed, "What are you doing here?"_

_The Gerudo looked up at them, "I.. I want to join your Clan."_

_The Yiga scoffed, "You expect us to believe that? The Gerudo **hate** us Yiga, and the feeling is mutual." They had been allowing Hylians to join them for some time, even a lone Rito, but never had a Gerudo wanted to join._

_"Yeah, well." their hands tightened on the straps of their backpack, "I **hate** the Gerudo too!"_

_"Why would a Gerudo vai--"_

_"I'm not a vai!" the **voe** called out to them, his spite and hatred visible on his face, "I'm a voe, my chosen name is Arbiter and I want to join the Yiga Clan!" he bent down to his knees in front the Yiga Clan members who stared at each other, unsure what to say, "..Please. I've got nowhere else to go."_)

Usually Yiga members were not allowed to keep their names after graduating, but Arbiter's case was a special one. Kohga watched as the Gerudo voe hesitated, his hand hovering on his mask.

"You're allowed to take your mask off to eat Arbiter. No-one here will judge you for that."

"I.." the voe sighed, "Yes, of course Master Kohga." Arbiter removed his mask, his dark Gerudo skin and yellow eyes visible as he took the Mighty Pursuit from Kohga. He took a small sip. Sweet. _Ridiculously_ sweet. The rock salt hadn't helped at all with the taste. Arbiter grinned. The Gerudo would _hate_ this. "It's perfect Master Kohga."

"Yeah?" Kohga muttered as he got to his feet, "That's big praise coming from you Arbiter." he glanced at his members, "I fully expect you all to make as many Mighty Pursuits as possible. Alcoholic ones for our blademasters, and non alcoholic ones for our trainees of course." Kohga grinned widely under his mask, "We're going to have a big celebration tonight after all."

\---

Link concentrated as she pressed her hands together, pooling her magic inside her as Riju and Buliara watched. Then a swarm of red talismans appeared around her and when they looked again, a Yiga footsoldier was in front of them instead of the Hylian Hero.

"Oh.. oh _wow_." Riju muttered, "You look just like a footsoldier Link!"

"You're too short." Buliara said, her expression deadpan. "They'll figure out you're not a footsoldier immediately. Can you not use your magic to make yourself taller?"

The Yiga footsoldier in front of them pressed her hands together again, concentrating as hard as she could. She pushed her hands forward in front of her, letting out a frustrated sound as more talismans appeared. When they looked again, Link was lying against the floor of Riju's bedroom in her normal undisguised form, panting heavily, "No.. I don't think I can. Mass displacement is too much for me."

"Hm." Buliara pondered, "Maybe it would be better to disguise yourself as one of their children then?"

"Ch.. children?" Link looked up from the floor, a stunned look on her face. She already knew the Yiga had children in their Clan (Dorian had been born in the Clan after all) but hearing it being said so _casually_ made her shiver.

Buliara nodded, "I always see groups of them training in the desert. We've thought about ambushing them before but.." she looked away a hesitant look on her usual stern face, "..It's not right. Attacking children, even if they _are_ Yiga." Buliara tightened her hands on the side of the sofa as she looked out into the town, watching as the Gerudo people cleaned up the town and market stalls, their own children helping, "I wish those _bastards_ would think the same of us."

"Buliara.." Riju placed her hand on her guards arm.

"Describe them to me." Link asked, "What does a Yiga child look like?"

"It's a simple outfit. Not as complex as a footsoldier's. They don't wear masks either, so you'll have to come up with a different appearance for your face, or they'll recognise you immediately."

Link stood up, pressing her fingers together as she pooled Chi's Yiga magic inside her. They had been coming up with plans for a while now, trying to figure out how they would get into the Yiga hideout to retrieve the Thunder Helm. They couldn't send the Gerudo soldiers and risk an all out war between the Yiga and Gerudo. ( _"And we're not sending Link." Riju had said out loud, "It's too dangerous to send the Hero right into enemy territory. They'll be looking for her."_ ) When all of a sudden an idea had occured to her, remembering how she had teleported when she took out that lynel on Digdogg Suspension Bridge. She had used Yiga magic. If she could use it to teleport even at such a short distance, then surely she could use their other magic too? ( _"Well, what if they don't see the Hero in front of them at all?" Link had quietly asked as Riju and Buliara looked at her in surprise._ )

Unsurprisingly, the voice in the slate had objected. ( _"You can't be serious."_ | _"Why not? Why not take advantage of anything we have access to if it means we can achieve our goals and save Urbosa?"_ | _"Because.."_ | the voice seemingly struggled with itself | _"Because I just don't **like** it okay?"_ | _"It it because your twin created the Yiga Clan?"_ | _"..."_ | _"Tell me, will the Yiga see through my magic?"_ | The voice hesitated. | _"No.. they won't be able to tell any difference between you and a regular Yiga at all, thanks to my sister's gift to you. They will completely recognise you as one of them."_ | _"Then what's the problem?"_ | _"Because I **know** you Link. And.. I don't think you're going to like what you see in there."_) Link burrowed her eyebrows together as she concentrated.

Talismans appeared around her again and in front of them stood a pale Sheikah child, who thanks to their height would probably be seen as around seven or eight years old at the most. She wore a regular trainee outfit, and had traditional red Sheikah like eyes. "How.. how do I look?" Link asked. Buliara grimaced as she looked away, a guilty look in her eyes, "You need black hair too."

Link touched her hair, which was now completely white thanks to the Yiga disguise magic. "I thought the Sheikah had white hair." She remembered the footsoliders she had seen the last few months and remembered the black tops on their heads, but hadn't really thought about it. She had assumed it had been part of their outfits.

"They usually _do_. But something must have happened to the Yiga Clan over the last ten thousand years since they were first created. I've never once seen a Yiga child with white hair."

Link looked down at her pale hands before pressing them together, concentrating once more, making her hair turn jet black. Buliara nodded. The disguise was perfect now. "There. Now you look like a proper Yiga child."

Link looked down at her pale hands once more. It was strange, she had been the one to come up with this plan and yet.. there was something about this that she just didn't _like_ about it. There was something.. familiar about this whole thing she couldn't place.

"Buliara, what are we going to do about _that_?" Riju asked, as she glanced to the little table in front of her. Link looked at the table and her heart sank. She didn't even want to look at it. On the table was a Yiga weapon, the windcleaver. And not just _any_ windcleaver, as she noted the blue cloth tied to the hilt.

Buliara grit her teeth as just seeing the weapon brought back bad memories for her, "We should destroy it." she reached out to take the windcleaver, but Link rushed forwards, "No, please, _wait_." the two Gerudo looked at her and she chewed her lip. Link had only had the mask on for a few moments, but she kinda hated not having in her actual disguise. She would have to control her emotions once she reached the hideout, and she had never been good at that.

"Can.." Link rubbed her arm, glancing at the windcleaver, "Can I take it with me?"

"But why?" Buliara asked, "Only blademasters carry windcleavers. If you were to use it, they'd grow suspicous of you immediately."

"I'm not going to use it." Link muttered, as she looked away from them a guilty expression on her disguised face, "But.. it could come in handy?"

Buliara looked at the girl and just knew there was something she was hiding from them. She wasn't _just_ going to the hideout for the Thunder Helm. There was something else she was going there for. Buliara sighed, but pushed the windcleaver towards Link anyway. "..Fine. Take it. It just means I won't have to get rid of it myself." She frowned though as the girl stored the weapon (and the cloth wrapped around it) into the slate. _I really hope you know what you're doing, Hero._

\---

Bant looked down at the front of the Yiga hideout with tired eyes. Usually he would drop off to sleep with no problem but right now..

( _"Dorian! DORIAN!!" Bant screamed out as his ex partner fell limp right there in his arms with a strange serene smile on his face. There was so much blood. No.. no no no no! He couldn't lose another person in the Clan, even if they all despised him. Not after their argument. He couldn't allow those to be the last words he had ever said to him. "Wake up, damn you!!" he could feel the tears falling freely his eyes as the other blademasters rushed to him, pulling him away from Dorian's body._

_"Footsoldier, stop!" one of them yelled, even as he tried to pull himself free from their powerful grip, "You're not helping!" the blademasters glanced to Dorian, lying still there right in front the hideout entrance as others still crowded around him._

_"Is.. that the Thunder Helm?"_

_"No way, it has to be a fake."_

_Bant turned around to the entrance. There was a group of trainees huddled together there, having had their training cut short due to what was happening out here. He could see the purple marks on their hands. 'Please.' Bant desperately thought to them, though he would never say it out loud with all these blademasters here, 'Get out of here, before this happens to you too.'_

_The life expectancy of a blademaster was far too short. The missions they went on were supposedly some of the most dangerous in the clan after all. Bant didn't know of any of them were though. After all, he had failed miserably at his own blademaster training. Honestly, it was a miracle Dorian had survived as long as he had._

_"What's all the commotion?" a voice suddenly spoke out and the blademasters looked up as Master Kohga teleported into the valley. "You're all ruining my naptime you kn--" Kohga went completely silent as he spotted Dorian's body on the floor, the Thunder Helm having fallen from his hands which was now lying in a pool of the blademaster's own blood._

_Kohga rushed forwards, frantically pushing past all the blademasters as he moved to Dorian's side. "What's going on?!" he shrieked out and Bant had never heard such sheer panic in the Master's voice before as he lifted Dorian's head in his lap, gently crading him in such a manner that Bant was momentarily stunned, "Where are the medics, what are you all doing?! Go get them, at once!!"_

_"Y-yes Master Kohga!" the blademasters immediately sprang into action, teleporting away and Bant backed away to the entrance and the trainees who were watching, leaving the Master alone as he heavily trembled with one hand pressed to the wounds on Dorian's back, trying to stop the bleeding, "Dorian.. Dorian.." Bant jolted. The Master was openly **sobbing** under his mask._)

Bant shook his head as he forced himself out of that memory. He suddenly realised someone was calling for him and glanced down tiredly. He spotted the Rito who had just left the hideout and grimaced. Kitt, his archery teacher, had his red wings crossed over the front of his chest, his Yiga mask tied tightly around his feathers and his duplex bow attached to his back. "You missed archery practice _again_."

"Uh.. yeah.." Bant sighed, pressing his face against the rock as he looked down at the Rito, "See, I'm not really in the mood for training today. You _do_ know what happened here yesterday, right?" he purposefully did not call the Rito by his actual name. Kitt was already angry, he didn't want to make him angrier.

"I do. And normally I would understand, but you've made excuse after excuse for _weeks_ now." Kitt's teal Rito eyes narrowed, "Need I remind you, that if you keep shirking your training like this, you'll end up kicked off guard duty for good? You guards have to keep their archery skills in tip top shape after all.

Bant groaned, dislodging his mask a little and rubbing his hands over his face. "..Fine. I'll be there tomorrow."

Kitt scoffed, "I have trainees tomorrow. But maybe that'll be better for you. Maybe you won't have the worst marks in my class for once going up against against actual trainees." the Rito laughed coldly and reentered the hideout.

Bant sighed. Kitt was so _cold_ now, almost like an actual blademaster. He hadn't started like that. Bant still remembered the day the group of footsoldiers had brought the Rito to the hideout almost twenty years ago. "He's a really good archer!" one of the footsoldiers had explained, "He gave us lessons while we were trying to ambush him, I almost actually managed to hit him!"

"Of course!" Kohga had opened his arms out to the Rito, "The more the merrier! You just need to go through training and the purifcation ritual, and then you'll officially be one of us!"

"Uh.." Kitt had muttered, "The _what_ ritual?" as he was pulled into the hideout.

( _"A Rito? Wasn't Hylians bad enough?" a blademaster had muttered angrily later as Bant hid behind a wall, still just a young footsoldier then, "What next? A Zora? A Goron? A Gerudo? How long are we going to keep accepting this?"_

_"Enough." one of the other blademasters muttered, "Are you really going to go against Master Kohga's wishes?"_

_"No.. but.."_

_"Then just tolerate it, for the Master's sake."_

_The blademaster growled, but then sighed out, "..Fine. For the Master's sake."_ )

Bant reopened his eyes. He actually _liked_ the new blood they had around. Dot, the Hylian who had been here longer then any of them had been born, Kitt the Rito archer who had seemingly joined out of boredom, and Arbiter the Gerudo who had felt ostracized from his own tribe and had come to despise them. He had hoped with all this new blood around, it would have influenced things around here for the better. But the exact _opposite_ had occured. All three had become dangerous fanatics, just as bad as Dorian had seemingly been back in his room a few days before.

Bant gripped onto the front of his footsoldier outfit, gritting his teeth behind the mask. He had been wearing it more and more often recently. Maybe it was time to accept the truth. The Yiga Clan was never going to change. They were too far gone into their own spiraling madness.

( _"If you don't like it, **why don't you leave**?! If you hate the Clan so much, why don't you go and join those Sheikah traitors back in Kakariko?! But you wouldn't do that would you, Bant. You know what happens to Yiga traitors after all. You're too much of a **coward** to leave."_)

Yeah. You know what? Maybe he _was_. Bant looked down at the invitation he had been given to the party tonight. He was surprised they had even bothered to ask him. Maybe it was just because he had been Dorian's partner. He had never bothered going to one of the Master's parties before ( _"For bonding purposes!" Kohga had said even as Bant scoffed. Bonding purposes? After torturing them their entire lives? He truly had no idea what was even going on in their warped Master's head._ ) but maybe.. tonight.. he would finally go. Bant curled up on the rock as he shut his eyes. For Dorian's sake.

"E-excuse me.." a voice called out to him and Bant opened one eye, then the other as he startled into action, immediately teleporting down to the valley. What was a _trainee_ doing out here?!

Link tried to keep her face neutral. The Sheikah slate was still on her belt like usual, but she had used her magic to make it invisible (The voice sighed. | _"You keep finding more new ways to surprise me every day Link."_ | _"Is it okay to keep talking to me like this once I'm in the hideout?"_ | _"..I'll try to keep my distance. But I'll be watching over you constantly. If I feel like you're in any danger, I'll be pulling you out immediately."_ | _"How? The teleport system still isn't functional."_ | The voice just went silent in response.)

"Trainee!" the footsolider leapt out down to her, the talismans appearing around him as he teleported to her side, "What are you _doing_ out here?!"

"I got lost on a training mission. But I managed to get back here by myself."

Well look at that, it was a godforsaken Calamity miracle Bant thought to himself as relief poured through him. Maybe he should have thought about it more, realised that he was being lied too. But.. the thought never even _occured_ to him. With everything he had suffered through his life, all the trainees.. footsoldiers.. blademasters.. perished for the sake of the Calamity, just this once, Bant truly believed that fate had smiled down on him. He quickly signaled to open the hideout.

"Well, you better get inside immediately. If a blademaster catches you out here, you'll be in trouble."

Link nodded, bowing respectfully. "Thank you footsolider sir!" before hurriedly rushing inside.

Bant watched the girl enter, scratching the back of his head a little in confusion. Wow, respect for him, a simple footsolider? That was new. He.. kinda liked it though.

As the door shut behind her, Link looked around the little room she had come into. There was a little raised platform in the center, various stairs leading up to different parts of the hideout, and eight strange statues surrounding the room, each with an inverted eye covering on them. As Link looked out into the room though, she could suddenly feel herself falling backwards as a memory overtook her out of nowhere..

( _There was a man sleeping on the center platform as two children watched on top of one of the statues, an older boy who looked to be around ten years old and a younger girl who was probably around seven. The boy grinned, "Look what I've got Iga." and he pulled out a duplex bow._

_The younger girl gasped, a look of envy crossing her face, "Where did you get that from Kohga? Did you steal it from a footsoldier? You know father won't train us yet."_

_"Yeah yeah." Kohga muttered, as he aimed the bow, "Anyway, watch this. I'm gonna pierce father's fancy collar with my arrows without waking him. That'll prove to him that we're ready to be trained."  
_

_Iga scoffed, "Yeah right. Good luck though, I'm rooting for you, big brother."_

_Kohga poked his tongue out of his mouth as he concentrated, loading the bow with two arrows, before firing them. The arrows shot out, and just as he he was sure he was about to pierce his father's skull, the man moved ever so slightly, the arrows piercing his collar instead. Kohga grinned as the man continued to sleep, then looked to his sister, but blanched at the expression on her face._

_There was a nasty look on the girl's face as she glared at her brother. "..You've been training on your own, haven't you?"_

_"Iga.." Kohga placed his hand to his little sister's shoulder, "Come on, there's plenty of time. We're still young yet." He just smiled as Iga continued to glare at him._ )

Link gasped as she returned to the center room, looking around wildly. What _was_ that? Iga and Kohga.. she burrowed her eyebrows together.. Kohga.. that was the name of the Master Dorian had mentioned back at the Spring of Courage. Had that been him as a child? Link shook her head. She had to move quickly, as she hurriedly took one of the staircases, hoping to find the Thunder Helm quickly.

About half an hour later though, Link was clearly struggling. This place was a _maze_. She could swear she had crossed that little waterfall like room with the wooden bridge three times now. She headed back down the path again, turning the corner and gasped as her small body crashed into another person's. Link looked up and her eyes widened. There was a _blademaster_ right there in front of her. The blademaster growled as Link stepped backwards, looking up at him fearfully ( _Please, please don't be Dorian_ she begged). She'd been able to figure out it was him at the Spring of Courage, but now she had no idea who anybody was.

"Trainee." the blademaster growled, and Link let out a deep breath she had been holding. That wasn't Dorian's voice. "What are you _doing_ out here? You should be back in the barracks."

Link bent down to her knees, "I-I'm sorry blademaster, sir."

"..What's your name trainee?"

Link looked up. She had had a lot of time to think about on the path up Kurasa Valley, and she had finally come up with what seemed like a good one. "Anna sir!"

" _No._ " the blademaster spat, as he crossed his arms and Link looked up at him, shock on her face. What? "You don't have a _name_ trainee. Names are useless distactions that only belong to those who are worthless and unpure. When you become a footsoldier, you, like all those before you, will shed your name and truly become a monster, like all of the Great Calamity's forces."

..What?? Link's eyes were wide, and despite herself, she started to stammer, clutching at her trainee uniform. The blademaster let out a disgusted noise, grabbing her arm as he began to pull her through the Yiga Clan hideout, through rooms she hadn't noticed before until finally she reached a large room with four little rooms leading off into it. "You're lucky we're busy tonight, or you would be going right into the purification chamber for your insolence." he glared over his shoulder at her and she could just _feel_ the resentment pouring off him, as the man roughly pushed her into one of the rooms. "Now, I don't know how many times I have to repeat myself, but you trainees need to stay in your barracks until we call for you." he slammed the door and Link winced, rubbing her arm where the blademaster had pulled her.

She turned into the room, her eyes widening as she spotted the group of children together, each sitting on their beds, looking at her with the same blank faces. Oh. Oh _no_. This had been a mistake.

\---

Dorian growled out, "How long do I have to stay here for?" Dot, the Hylian medic was checking over the wounds, under the bandage as Dorian lay on his side. "For as long as it takes for your wounds to heal, young master."

Dorian grit his teeth, "Can't you just use an elixir on me?"

Dot adjusted his glasses, holding his mask close to he could quickly slip it back on once he was done checking Dorian's wounds, "Those wretched Gerudo arrows pierced too deep for that, unfortunately." he gasped all of a sudden, looking up at the footsoldier who had just entered the infirmary. "S-sorry Arbiter, I meant no offence.."

The Gerudo voe shrugged, "None taken." he moved to Dorian's bedside, dropping a bowl of mushed up bananas which Dorian looked at distastefully. He would rather a pumpkin from his stash in his personal bed chambers to be honest.

Next to them, Kitt the Rito groaned from his bed. "Medic, can't I just take my chilly elixir and leave? I need to prepare for tomorrows lessons."

Dot glared over at the Rito. "Maybe if you actually _drank_ your elixirs like you were supposed to you wouldn't end up in my infirmary so often. You _know_ your Rito physiology isn't prepared for the desert, yet you insist on taking your footsoldiers out there don't you?"

Kitt scoffed as he crossed his wings, "For trainees, the training rooms in the hideout is fine, but footsoldiers need a bigger open space to train in."

"Then why not take them up the Highlands, where your physiology is much better suited too?"

Kitt spluttered, "You're joking right? There are _lynels_ up there! I know we're not supposed to go easy on the footsoldiers, but that's too much even for them."

"Then take your chilly elixirs like you're supposed to and maybe you wouldn't be passing out from heat exhaustion all the time."

Dorian winced one eye shut. He didn't want to hear any of this. ( _Stop it._ He thought to himself. _Just stop talking, all of you. None of you should even be here. You had actual **lives** before you were indoctrinated._)

Dorian opened his eye again, reaching out for the bowl of bananas as he saw Arbiter in front of him. There was a gleeful feeling radiating from the Gerudo voe, even through his mask. "What was it like, ripping the Thunder Helm away from those idiots in the town? I hope you got to punch Teake right in her miserable little face." Arbiter cackled at that. That's right. Arbiter had been a soldier for Gerudo Town before he had left. That's how the Clan had gotten all the information they needed about the soldiers names.

Dorian pulled the bowl to him and looked up. The Hylian medic, Dot, and the Rito archer, Kitt, were both looking at him now. And the looks in their eyes.. Dorian felt queasy. They were looking at him the same way he had once looked at Master Kohga.

Dorian knew this was what he had planning for for years, but now that he was here, he didn't know how much that look he would come to _hate_ that look on their faces.

\---

Link sat down one of the empty beds, clasping her hands together as she tried not to fidget. Despite herself, she glanced at the other children. Their eyes were horrifically blank, like they were just completely dead inside, and her stomach churned desperately as the voice's words came back to her. ( _"I don't think you're going to like what you see in there."_ ) A whole generation of kids who had their childhood ripped from them the moment they were born, just because of their blood. And more then that, entire generations, spanning back ten thousand years. Link shut her eyes painfully. Calamity, they had never known what it was like to be held by their parents, or to play games like normal kids.. Link trembled as she suddenly felt herself falling again.

( _Those two siblings, Iga and Kohga were in front of her again. They were older now, seemingly training together in an open area with a strange hole in the center, their father watching them from a distance. She watched as they teleported constantly around the area, getting faster and faster as they sparred with wooden training sickles. Iga grit her teeth and pushed her wooden sickle out the moment her brother appeared, tripping him up as she teleported once more over him, raising the wooden sickle high._

_Immediately their father moved to stop them, teleporting between the two as he held them apart. "Okay, that's enough for now."_

_Iga glared viciously at him, and Link was stunned at the pure spite that seemed to be in the child's eyes. "Why are you going easy on us father?!"_

_"I.." he turned to look at her, surprise in his own red eyes, "I'm not going easy on you."_

_"Yes you are!!" Iga threw down the wooden sickle, her hands balling up into fists at her side, "You won't even let us train with proper metal sickles!" Kohga seemed to look helplessly between his sister and father as he was caught in between the two of them._

_"That's because you're not footsoliders yet." their father said, but there was a hesitant tone to his voice._

_"Then why do all the other trainees get to train with proper weapons in proper training halls, while we're given special treatment?!" Iga glared at him, "It's all because we're the 'great' Master Kohga's children!" The father.. who was also called Kohga watched as his preteen daughter stormed off, and the brother chased after his sister, glancing to his father, "Don't worry father, I'll go talk to her._

_The boy rushed through the hideout, back to the entrance area where those eight statues were, looking at his sister who was standing on the center platform. "Iga."_

_"Go away Kohga." Iga spat out, her hands locked together behind her back. "I don't want to talk to you right now."_

_"But I've got something cool to show you."_

_Iga paused then turned to her brother with her grey eyes. "..What?"_

_The memory shifted and the siblings were in a sepeate room. Kohga was pulling up his trainee uniform from the foot, all the way to the knee and then Link saw it. A nasty purple burn mark on his knee. Iga's expression turned to gleeful, "Oh that's gross. What is it?"_

_"Father called it a malice burn." Kohga pulled the clothing back down._

_"Malice?" Iga looked up, her eyes wide, "You actually saw malice?"_

_Kohga nodded, "A small pool of it up in the Highlands."_

_Iga pondered as she placed her hand on her chin, "If there's pools of malice appearing now.." a wild ecstastic gleeful grin appeared on the girl's face, "Kohga, you know what that means right?"_

_Kohga crossed his arms as he pondered, "It means the Calamity is probably coming soon."_

_"It means.." Iga's smile grew wider. She looked practically demonic, "that that wretched Royal Family won't know what hit them." she looked to her brother, "You remember what you promised me right brother?" she put her fist out, and Kohga nodded, pressing his own fist to his little sister's._

_"Right. You and me, Iga. We're going to destroy the Royal Family once and for all."_ )

Link's eyes opened again. There was suddenly one of the Yiga children in front of her, staring right at her and Link yelped out, falling backwards into the bed.

"I don't recognise you." the child, a boy said, "What's your name?"

Link looked away, "We.." she swallowed nervously as she repeated what the blademaster had told her, "We're not supposed to have names."

"Pfft." the child laughed and Link was surprised by the bitterness in the Yiga boy's voice. "Please, as if the blademasters actually follow that rule they enforce."

"That's right." a second child spoke out, a girl as she looked at them, "I hear them you know, talking to each other, using each others names all the time."

"Plus Master Kohga is allowed a name.." the boy mentioned, dropping to Link's bed. "I'm Biaat, by the way." The girl moved to the bed beside Link, "Tian."

( _"Of course they're all named after the mighty banana."_ | The voice groaned outloud and Link jolted. | _"I mean, I like mighty bananas too, but after ten thousand years you think they would have run out of names."_ )

Link tried to ignore the voice as she looked at the two children either side of her, "..Anna." Ah. Her name had accidentally been a banana pun too.

Shortly after that, the blademasters came to retrieve them, and all the children immediately fell into line, blank looks on their face as they bowed to the blademasters. "You're lucky Master Kohga even invited you all." one of the new blademasters spat, "If any one of you show us up, you're all going right into the purification chamber first thing tomorrow morning." Link burrowed her eyebrows, even as she bowed to the blademasters. That was the second time the blademasters had mentioned something called a purification chamber. What was that? She looked to her side and noticed the terrified looks on Biaat and Tian's faces. Link chewed her lip. Must be some sort of punishment.

Link followed after the other two as they were marched out of the barracks one after the other in step, first all the way back to that center area, before heading west through a lot of little passage ways, until they finally seemed to reach a dead end. One of the blademasters tapped the wall, and a hidden entrance opened up, leading the way to an open very large but still inside room. In the middle of the room, there was a two tables set up covered to the brim in glasses filled with a strange yellow liquid. There were mighty bananas _everywhere_. The drink must have been made out of mighty bananas too. The blademasters pointed at the smaller of the two tables, "You may all take one drink each, and then sit down, and don't say _anything_." The children quickly obeyed, hurriedly moving to the table and taking one drink each, before moving to sit down.

Link looked around the room. There were a ton of blademasters too, not many footsoldiers though. Link noted a few of them though, hanging out in the back of the room. One of the footsoldiers noticed her and waved. He wasn't wearing his mask now, a small black beard on his middle aged face, but Link could tell it was the man who had let her into the hideout. Link wanted to wave back, but.. the threat of the blademasters was still ringing in her ears. She took one of the drinks, moving to sit in between Biaat and Tian.

Looking down at the glass in her hands, Link tried not to frown. Really, her problem with sweet foods seemed so insignificant right now, with everything going on around her. The Yiga seemed to live on a diet of mighty bananas only, she would look out of place if she didn't drink hers. Maybe a little timidly, Link raised the glass to her mouth taking a little sip. Her eyes widened. It was actually _really_ good. Sweet. _Really_ sweet. But still good. That made no sense. She usually _hated_ sweet foods, especially mighty bananas. Looking down at her pale hands (which she was still not used too), she wondered if the Yiga magic was affecting her taste buds somehow and hoped it wasn't going to be permanent.

There was suddenly a sound of talismans as someone teleported into the room and Link raised her head. Levitating above the tables was a man wearing an fancy Yiga outfit that very different from all the ones she had seen so far. The collar though.. she was reminded of that first memory in the center room. It looked almost exactly the same. Iga and Kohga's father. But this man was clearly a different person all together. Link startled out of her thoughts as the man began to speak, "Hello all my beloved blademasters and trainees~ I hope you're all having a wonderful evening tonight~!"

"Master Kohga." the blademasters stepped into line and Link looked around at the children. Every single one of them, the few footsoldiers too had their eyes on the Master and the looks on their faces.. Link was reminded of the group of Hylians who had followed her around back from Rito Village to Hyrule Ridge and her fingers tightened on the glass ever so slightly. ( _Master Kohga.._ Link thought to herself. _It must be a family name passed down from generation to generation just like the name Link.._ ) She wondered if the pressure to live up to such a name existed even here in the Yiga Clan and despite herself, as she looked onto the tall chubby man, even though he was her enemy and was trying to have her killed.. Link somehow felt a bit sorry for him.

Master Kohga was continuing to speak as he levitated with his Yiga magic, spreading his arms out to the room, "My dear Yiga Clan, we have suffered terribly over the past ten thousand years, that is true, but that _suffering_ has only brought us closer together as a family. Each and every one of you, even those who were not born into the clan--" and he moved one hand to the back of the room where Link noticed three individuals sitting down and her eyes widened. She hadn't noticed them before, but a Rito, a Gerudo and even an elderly _Hylian_ (who looked to be in his early eighties) were sitting with the other footsoldiers, right next to the one who had let her in. The Gerudo and the Hylian were dressed in the traditional footsoldier outfit, their masks cradled a little uncomfortably in their hands, as if they did not want to be seen by the rest of the Clan without them. The Rito was different. He wore traditional Rito clothing that had seemed to have been dyed the same colour as the rest of the Yiga clothing and he wore his mask tied over his feathers (Link supposed making a Yiga outfit specifically for a Rito would have been too challenging, at least the Hylian and Gerudo had similar humanoid bodies compared to the Sheikah). He had such a stern look on his face as his teal eyes roamed over the room that reminded Link of the blademasters she had met so far.

Link's mind was reeling. She had thought the Yiga Clan was just Sheikah, but now as she looked at those three individuals, her stomach _churned_. They were looking at the Master was the same revered look in their eyes as the rest of the Clan. She genuinely hoped they didn't believe the same brainwashing as Kiyah had said Dorian did in her letter and Link continued to chew her lip. Her eyes especially wouldn't leave the elderly Hylian man. He was so _old_ and she was reminded of her grandmother back in Lurelin. How much had he suffered here, being part of the Yiga Clan?

Kohga was continuing to speak, "--It matters not. We are one Clan, one tribe, united under our Great Lord The Calamity!" Kohga spread his arms out again, "And when our Great Lord finally claims this wretched godforsaken land as it's own, we loyal Clan will ride alongside our beloved Lord and the monsters we so revere and have become one with. We shall _burn_ all of Hyrule and those non-believers who refused to join with us, together with our Great Lord, as a new age and order descends upon this land!" the cheers from the Clan rose up at once, and Link startled as she looked around. Blademasters, footsoldiers, even the fellow children alongside her were cheering and yelling loudly, a cry of "Master Kohga!" and "The Great Calamity!" reaching her ears. Even the three at the end of the room, the Rito, Gerudo and Hylian were cheering with their fellow Clan members. Link noted the clan member who had let her in though. The footsoldier had his face pressed down into his glass, an uncomfortable look on his face as he sipped his drink.

( _"Mad. He's actually mad."_ | The voice muttered, a disgusted feeling coming through the slate. | _"I knew the Yiga had been warped after ten thousand years but this.. If the Calamity destroys Hyrule, they won't be spared. None of them will be. All that awaits Hyrule is death and destruction."_ )

Kohga continued, "But enough of that for now, in due time we will destroy our enemies too--" Link tensed a little. Oh. They were talking about _her_. "But for today, I have gathered you all here today for a once in a Yiga Clan lifetime event.. the official announcement of my successor!"

The children looked at each other as an excited murmur spread around them. "So, the Master finally selected one.." Tian muttered, "I don't know why, but I assumed the Master would just somehow lead forever." Biaat had a wild look in his eyes, "It _has_ to be that blademaster, you know, the one who stole the the Thunder Helm." Link wheezed as she choked a little on her drink.

"Don't be stupid Biaat." Tian looked at the boy, thankfully not noticing Anna's reaction between all the cheering, "I saw him yesterday you know, right there at the front of the entrance. We were having a training session right close to the entrance when the call came out for the blademasters." Tian frowned, "I know we shouldn't have followed, but the blademasters didn't even notice us throughout the chaos."

"You never mentioned this." Biaat's eyes were wide and he leaned over Anna's lap to look at Tian. "What was he like then, this blademaster?"

"Bleeding heavily." Tian frowned, stirring her drink with the little spoon that was in it, "How disgraceful. He's supposed to be a blademaster, but there he was letting his precious malice escape his body like that." Link looked in between the two children either side of her, her eyes wild as she she tried to calm herself down. This was insane. All of this was just beyond _insane_. Tian continued, "Besides, there's no way he survived those injuries." One of Link's hands tightened on her trainee uniform. ( _Dorian_..)

"Master Kohga." one of the blademasters called out, "Where is our monster of the hour anyway?"

"Don't worry, he'll be here in due time, but for now, please enjoy yourselves. All of you are beloved Clan members, my precious family, it's rare that we get to enjoy a celebration like this one, so please enjoy the special drinks our footsoldiers working in the kitchens have provided you with as you enjoy yourself." Kohga glanced to the elderly Hylian and nodded, and Dot nodded back, summoning his talismans as he teleported to the infirmary.

Link's eyes widened, despite herself. So, non Sheikah/Yiga _could_ use Yiga magic after all. They must have trained exceptionally hard to be able to do that, overcoming their non Sheikah bodies to do so. Her hands tightened on her glass as the children around her continued to mutter excitedly. Somehow she felt guilty. She hadn't trained at all, but she was able to do all this amazing magic thanks to the Sheikah slate and Chi's magic.

She looked at the children around her, Biaat, Tian and the others, who suffered everyday with their training lessons and her hands gripped tightly around the glass. They were her enemies, but her heart _bled_ deeply for them. This plan been a mistake. Probably the biggest mistake so far since she had left Lurelin. Link wanted to save _all_ of them.

\---

Dorian looked up as Dot teleported back into the infirmary. The elderly Hylian gasped out, adjusting his glasses with one hand to stop them from falling off as he trembled and staggered back slightly. Dorian moved before he could stop himself, holding the Hylian's shoulders as Dot shuddered, looking up at him, "Young master, you don't have to worry yourself with a simple footsoldier."

"Dot, you talk to me and Kitt about exhaustion, but you're not taking care of yourself either." Dorian muttered as Dot unwillingly leaned on the taller blademaster for support. "You really shouldn't be teleporting around the base like that at your age." Rune magic was tiring enough if used too much for a pureblood Yiga, but for those like Dot.. "After tonight, my first order for you is that you take care of yourself and get a good rest. You have plenty of medics to take over your job here in the infirmary."

"I.." Dot looked up at Dorian helplessly, a miserable look in his green eyes behind his glasses and Dorian tried to keep his face neutral. Those green eyes.. they reminded him of.. "If it's an official order, then of course, I will comply young master. I live to serve you, Master Kohga, the Yiga Clan and the Great Calamity."

Dorian sighed as he stood up to his full height, moving to sit on the bed as Dot came up behind him, carefully unwrapping the bandages around his chest as he looked at the wound on Dorian's back. "Hm.." he adjusted his glasses, "looks like the deepest part of the wound has healed over." he left Dorian's side, grabbing a hearty elixir from the cabinet, pulling the stopper from it before slathering the red liquid on Dorian's back, making the blademaster wince a little, "This will have to do for now, for tonight at least. I want you to check in with my medics every few days though. And don't go doing anything too crazy young master. You'll have to put off your advanced training sessions with Master Kohga for now, understood?"

Dorian grit his teeth, "..Yes Dot."

The medic grimaced at the continued use of his name, but said nothing. Dorian sighed, reaching for his mask and looking down at it. This was only his second mask in his lifetime, having lost the one he had had since he was a footsoldier that night at Kakariko ( _No. Don't think about Li-- the Hero tonight_ ). But it was still strange, thinking after tonight he would have a brand new mask. Those two had been his 'face' for so long. Sighing, Dorian locked the mask onto his face. Well. He supposed it was time to get out there for his grand entrance.

Conecentrating his magic, Dorian summoned his talismans as he teleported into the large room that lead to the outdoor area. The trainees below him gasped as Dorian appeared, levitating right there alongside the Master himself and Dorian glanced down at them. His grey eyes were hardened behind his mask.

( _Dorian woke up in a cold sweat in his personal blademaster bedchambers as he clutched the front of his sleep attire, panting heavily. That same nightmare again.. It hadn't been too long since he had returned to the Clan, and had only just been promoted to blademaster, the windcleaver lying on his table, with the blue cloth tied around it._

_"I think you broke a new record, for the fastest training time ever for promotion to blademaster." Kohga had said, yawning as he looked over at Dorian's new windcleaver. "Well, technically I had a bit of training before I left." Dorian had replied, his hands gripped around the hilt._

_Dorian shakily rose to his feet as he looked at the newly made planter box in his room, under the table. It was still too early, the vegetables hadn't grown enough. Instead he reached out for a mighty banana, chewing it roughly to calm his nerves. Dorian had to control himself better, he couldn't be having a meltdown from nightmares every night. Not if his plans were going to work._

_Still, Dorian shivered as the nightmare played through his mind again: Kiyah, dead, before him by his own windcleaver. His daughter Koko, and his unborn child as well, in the blademasters rough grip as they looked up at him. Dorian watching their terrified expressions as Kohga placed his hands to Dorian's shoulders as he spoke out, "Of course, they're our precious family as well! Take them to be purifed at once." His daughter's screams of terror as he watched them leave, unmoving to help them._

_Dorian's stomach churned at the nightmare as he retched, vomiting the mighty banana he had just eaten to the floor. No. **No**. He would never allow that to happen. Wiping his mouth, Dorian trembled even as tears fell from his grey eyes. He had to control himself better, he had to completely harden his heart, no matter how much phychological damage he did to his already damaged soul. He had already physically seperated himself from Kakariko, but still now.. Dorian thought of that village as his home. His **true** home. He had to emotionally distance himself from Kiyah and his beloved children too. It was the only way any of this was going to work._

_It was fine, Dorian told himself, he could do it. He **knew** he could. He was a monster after all. Only a true monster would completely abandon their family and rejoin such a terrible clan, born of pure malice._)

Even as Dorian played along and showed off his the specialised powers he had been taught by Master Kohga himself, as the trainees gasped and awed at him, and even the hardened blademasters looked impressed, he looked outwards at all of them, even the trainees, and felt _nothing_.

Disgusting. This entire clan really was pure evil. Himself, more so then any others. The Yiga Clan believed themselves to be righteous and pure, a clan dedicated to their ancestor The Great Calamity, but he knew the truth. And he had come back here _anyway_ , even as Kiyah had begged him not too.

Later, as Kohga removed his mask and gave him the new one, one like Kohgas's own, but with one horn coming out the sides compared to Kohga's three and locked it personally to his face himself, Dorian could just feel the _pride_ radiating from the other man. Dorian instead felt nothing but the burning anger and hatred inside his own hardened heart. If there was one person he hated more then himself in this miserable clan, it was Kohga himself. How dare he. He talked about family so often, but Kohga had _no idea_ what a true family was.

( _Kiyah was asleep next to him. She was so tired recently, just like she had been through Koko's pregnancy.. Dorian glanced at her, gently stroking her white hair. She had somehow even managed to fall asleep on the night of a blood moon._

_"Papa." Dorian turned to Koko, who was clutching onto his Sheikah clothing, as the small family were cuddled together on the bed, tears falling from her grey eyes (so much like his own..) "I'm scared."_

_"It's alright Koko, I'm here." Dorian murmured, wrapping his arms around the shaking girl as the red particles of unpure malice even filled up inside their small home. "I won't let anything happen to you."_

_That's right, Dorian thought as he held his daughter. This was supposed to be the normal reaction to a blood moon. Not deluded reverence like that night so many years ago._ )

Kohga.. he had caused so much suffering to this Clan every single day, passed down through his own fanatical words and recontextualized through the actions of his blademasters. As Dorian rose to his feet and the Clan raised their glasses to him, calling out "Master Dorian." to him. He even spotted Ban-- no, the _footsoldier_ in the back of room, also raising his glass to him. Dorian grit his teeth behind the new mask. He hoped his actions hadn't caused the atheist to start developing an attachment to this miserable Clan. He should really leave, now, before it was too late.

He looked outwards to the Clan. Dorian had heard stories, of the Master who was in charge before their own Master Kohga. He had been a powerful imposing militaristic leader, which he supposed was what the clan needed during the Calamity's time. It was even rumoured that the man had been the one who _killed_ the Queen of Hyrule, though Dorian was never able to confirm that. However, his actions had a devestating affect during that time. Despite it being the time of rising Calamity, more members had defected then at any point in the Yiga Clan's long history. The previous Master had just been that brutal of a leader.

Dorian was determined then, to follow that leader's path, once Kohga had passed on. No.. he thought to himself, he would be even _worse_. He had already been showing off how hardened and militaristic he was to the footsoldiers, remembering all those months ago at Birida Lookout. He hated the Clan sure, but he took no pleasure in killing. The more of them he could get to defect, the better. And anyone who was still loyal enough to stay, even through the brutal regime he had planned for the Clan.. Dorian glanced at some of the more fanatical blademasters. Well, he was _Yiga_ for a reason. He would personally take them out himself.

Kohga would regret sending him to Kakariko all those years ago. It had given Dorian a new dream.. no, a new _purpose_ , even as he seemingly followed after Kohga's dream they had made together when Dorian was a child. He would protect, not only his family, but Kakariko, and.. Hyrule at large. And also.. Dorian eyes shut behind his mask as he thought of a girl who was too young for the burdens that had been placed on her. That's right, more so then any of them, Link and her family, her ancestors.. they had suffered most of all.

( _Exist for another ten thousand years?_ ) Dorian scoffed internally as he thought to himself, that memory of when he was six years old burning hotly through him. Dorian was going to destroy this clan and finally put an end to their miserable ten thousand year history, once and for all. Brick by brick, member by member, until _nothing remained_ of this delusional fanatical clan but their ashes.


	22. Yiga Clan Hideout Part II - It's What You Were Born To Do

The Yiga blademaster hiccuped slightly as he lead the way back to the barracks. He seemingly didn't even notice the children weren't falling in line behind him. It had been a wild party, and it almost made Link forget that this wasn't a fanatical religious cult that traumatised everyone, both the children and adults alike. As the blademaster locked them into their barracks and Link moved to the bed she had taken before, the children suddenly began to chatter excitedly among themselves as they too headed for their own beds. Link glanced back at them. It was almost like they were actual.. children.

"Wow, Master Dorian is so cool!" Biaat was babbling as he climbed into his bed.

"Yeah. I was completely wrong about him." Tian's nodded, her eyes were lit up in a way so different then the blank expressions they had had earlier.

"And did you see that malice mark on his face, stylised like our own inverted eye?" Biaat looked at his own hand, and Link saw it then.. the purple burn mark that had mostly seemed to heal covering his entire hand. She looked at the other children and realised they all had the same kind of burn, some on their left hand, others on their right. Link felt extremely queasy. Malice burns. Why did they all have one? Her stomach _churned_ at the sight.

Tian nodded again, "He must be so dedicated to our Great Lord The Calamity. No wonder the Master chose him."

( _'Dorian genuinely believed he wasn't worthy to be there with us. No matter how many times I told him otherwise, that it didn't matter where he came from, I just couldn't get him to drop that Yiga Clan brainwashing. I think he truly believed he was a monster that served the Great Calamity.'_ )

Tears pricked at her eyes, even as she felt the presence of the invisble slate on her side. Was the voice inside.. trying to comfort her? Link felt so _numb_. How was she going to explain this to Kiyah? The Sheikah woman had already suffered so much. And Koko and Cottla.. what would it mean for them, that their father was going to be the leader of their own enemies? A horrified thought crossed her mind. What if the Yiga Clan tried to take them, since they were Dorian's own blood relatives?

Link shook her head desperately, she needed to stop thinking about this for now. She needed to clear her head if she was going to concentrate on the task ahead of them. Dealing with Dorian and Kiyah would have to come later. She now knew where the Thunder Helm was after all. The Master had proudly brought it out during the party, laughing wildly at having finally gotten it after all those years. They had even gotten that Gerudo voe footsoldier to wear it as as he pranced around the hall, mocking Lady Urbosa herself while Kohga laughed almost maniacally with one arm wrapped around Dorian's shoulder as Link felt sick to her stomach.

When the children had been taken from the large hall room, Link had timidly looked over her shoulder back at the party that was continuing, eyeing the Thunder Helm that was now discarded among all the empty glasses on the tables. The Yiga Clan had seemingly wanted the Gerudo artifact for years, as nothing more then a trophy to brag about because of their tensions with the Gerudo tribe.

As she looked down at the locked doors of the barracks, Link glanced down at her own pale hands. She wouldn't be able to teleport back to that room, there was too much rune magic in this hideout, she couldn't concentrate on the Thunder Helm. She had to hope that tomorrow then, she could break away from the other children here and return to that room on foot. She even knew how to open the hidden door, having seen the blademaster open it earlier. Laying her head down on the (uncomfortable) bed, Link looked miserably up at the ceiling of the barracks. She was grateful that the power she had been given by Chi was strong just by itself that it would keep her disguise up, even as she slept.

"By the way Anna.." Biaat said, quietly from the other bed, "I was wondering why _you_ don't have a purified malice mark."

Oh no. Link startled, her eyes wide as she looked at the Yiga boy. On her other side, Tian sat back up. "I didn't notice that, but you're right Biaat." they were looking at Link's pale hands, and they both glanced up to her red eyes. There was a suspicious look in Tian's eyes, Biaat just looked confused though.

Link still had no idea what the this malice chamber and purification stuff was, and her stomach churned desperately. She looked around, thankfully none of the other children had noticed. They were all lying obediently in their beds. The slate's voice was alarmed. ( _"Link, do you need me to get involved?"_ | _"No, I'll figure something out, please just wait."_ )

"I.. ah.." Link had an idea and moved quickly, pulling the sleeve up from her trainee uniform. Her malice burn was about half way healed, but the purple mark was so potent that it was even visible under the disguise magic. It was darker still then the marks on the children's hands, and she hoped it would be enough to suffice even though it was on a different part of her body.

Biaat winced at the sight of it sympathetically. The purification mark went all the way from the Yiga trainee's shoulder and half way down her arm, just above her elbow. Tian however, crossed her arms. "Disgraceful, what did you do, slip in the malice or something?"

"Something like that, yeah." Link thought of Naydra. She didn't blame the dragon though, it's body had been corrupted by the malice, just like the Champions, even if it's mind had mostly still been it's own unlike them.

Biaat sighed as he moved back to his bed, crossing his arms around the back of his, head scratching his hair a little. Link noticed how, as he scratched a little bit of black colouring came away from his head onto his fingers, a little bit of Sheikah white hair appearing under it. ( _..Hair dye? Is that why the Yiga all have black hair?_ )

Tian uncrossed her arms. "You're not a very good trainee are you, Anna?" There was a little bit of smugness to her voice though and Link glanced at her. She supposed it was very competetive here among the Clan. "You were found outside the barracks and now this. You should really be more careful, or you'll get sent back to the purifcation chamber."

"Lay off her Tian." Biaat yawned, "We're all in this together, aren't we? We need to support each other too. We're all we've got."

"Incorrect." Tian spat, "Maybe _you_ can laze around and do nothing all day, but as for me, I'm going to work hard and become a blademaster one day." she glanced at Anna, "You don't want to become like this one Anna, he's already gone into the purifcation chamber so many times I've lost count."

Biaat flinched as he covered his face with the duvet, "..I'm trying alright Tian?" his voice was muffled under it, "You think I _want_ to be punished all the time? It was bad enough when we went through the purification ritual."

Purification ritual.. Link's hand tightened on her uniform.

"Yes I remember." Tian glared at him, "You were sobbing so much it was _pathetic_." a disgusted look passed her face, "And you shouldn't talk about the ritual like that, as if you hated it. You _know_ how important it is to our clan. It's the only way to purify our disgusting Sheikah blood into the malice that now fills our veins." Link could feel the alarm blazing at her through the slate. Both of them were there, she could almost feel their presences as if they were right there next to her. The mystery twin, and Chi herself. Tian continued, "It's just like Master Kohga says, our suffering and the purification will bring the clan together, even those not born into our clan like our archery teacher Kitt." Tian pumped her fist to her chest, her eyes way too hardened for such a young child, "That's why we recite our oath, to kill all our enemies and the wretched Hero, and to serve our Lord the Great Calamity until the day we die, while placing a part of our own unpure body into the very same malice that comes from our Great Lord itself." she glared at Biaat who was still cowering under the duvet, "And if you _die_ in the process, that just proves you were too unpure in the first place."

( _"No no no no no.."_ | She could feel Chi's horror through the slate. Even the founder of the Yiga Clan didn't seem to realise just how bad her descendants had gotten over the last ten thousand years. | _"When did this happen.. how did they misinterpret my books so badly..?"_ )

Books? Link's hands clasped together. Her legs were trembling under the duvet. Dorian.. and all the other Yiga Clan members who were born into the clan.. and even those not born into the clan, like the Rito Tian had mentioned, and that elderly Hylian she had seen at the party. They had all gone through that ritual? Link's eyes roamed over at the children, noting all the empty beds in the room. There were more empty beds then there were filled ones. Link felt _sick_. How many _children_ had died during that ritual? She remembered clearly, the pain she had felt when Naydra's malice hit her shoulder, and that had only been for a moment. Just the mere thought of reciting some ancient oath while having her hand sugmerged in the stuff..

( _Don't vomit. **Don't vomit.**_ )

She glanced at Tian, who suddenly looked at her with an almost sympathetic look in her usually hardened eyes. "Anna, don't take what I just said too hard alright? We're competitors sure, and your ritual might have gone a little different from ours, but you survived after all. That means you're worth something here to the clan. After all, this.. serving our Lord the Great Calamity.. _it's what we were all born to do_."

\---

( _Those Yiga siblings were in front of her and they were younger again, just slightly younger then the first memory. They were looking over a pile of books and parchments that had been pushed to the corner in the bedroom they shared with their father. Kohga took one of the books, blowing off the dust from it as he showed it to his little sister._

_Iga frowned, "I can't read that." Link could. It was written in Ancient Sheikah text. And the name written on the spine of the book.. Chi Ko-- Link startled away as Kohga suddenly slammed the book down in the little table between the three beds, flicking through the pages, the spine hidden on the table. "We should learn then Iga. These books were left to us by our ancestors after all. No-one's been able to read them for thousands of years."_

_Iga made a disgusted face, "Why do you want to learn anyway? They'll just tell us what we already know after all, that our ancestors were banished by that wretched Royal Family." her hands balled into fists by her side, pure spite and hatred in her grey eyes. Kohga didn't look up though, still looking through the book. His own red eyes, inherited from his father poured over the Ancient Sheikah text._

_The memory shifted, and now Kohga was older, probably in his late teens or early twenties and wearing a footsoldier uniform, sitting on one of the beds, pouring over the texts as he munched at a mighty banana. His father was overlooking himself, the tall muscular man checking his collar before snapping his mask, with the three horns on either side, onto his face, locking it into place. "Son, I'm in agreement with your sister in this one, you're not going to be able to decipher those texts, it's too hard. Countless other leaders before you have tried, and they've all failed."_

_"Then I'll be the first."_

_The elder Kohga sighed, "Don't get too invested. I want you and your sister by my side fully prepared and your skills top notch for when we ambush that wedding happening in around a years time."_

_The younger Kohga glanced up from the book, "You won't get that close, you realise that right? The new Queen and her consort.." he pondered, "..Rhoam I think you said his name was?" His father nodded, "He was the captain of the Royal Guard right? They're going to be covering the entire Castle Town perimeter for ages in advance, looking for anyone suspicious. We're not going to be able to get in." he waved his hand a litle, "It would be much better to try an assault once everything has calmed down again."_

_The elder Kohga huffed, "What and allow a new Princess to be born in that time? I don't think so."_

_The younger Kohga shrugged, "That's why you're the leader, father. I'll follow your plan, just don't freak out if one of us gets hurt again like you did last time."_

_The elder Kohga left the room, leaving the younger one alone as he bent over a piece of blank parchment, writing down the Ancient Sheikah characters, and then modern Hylian underneath with an ink pen. The younger Kohga continued to ponder over the book as the days turned to weeks, and then to months. Link could almost see the sweat pouring off his face with how much he was struggling. Then.. finally.. one day, he took the pen once more, carefully linking the letter that represented 'K' in Ancient Sheikah with the 'K' in modern Hylian. Link jolted, it was taking a long time, but the younger Kohga was slowly starting to figure it out.._ )

Link gasped as her red eyes flew open. Biaat was right there in front of her face, "Oh thank the Calamity." he got up as Link pulled pulled away the duvet, "If you'd still been asleep when the blademasters came for us, I'd shudder to think what happened." Link looked around. She was the only one still in bed, the other children were all awake and tiredly rubbing their eyes. Link's heart hurt for them. She had become adjusted to waking up early over the last few months, but technically these children were much younger then her.

They all looked to be around seven to eight years old just like her disguise, while she herself was thirteen years old. Realising that all of a sudden made a protective feeling flare inside her. All these children were around Kinov's age.. or maybe just a little older then Cottla who had recently celebrated her sixth birthday as Kiyah had mentioned from one of her previous letters. Link tried not to grimace. ( _No, don't think about Kiyah and her girls right now, just focus on the mission._ ) She reached for Biaat's hand as she pulled herself from the bed and yelped as he pulled his hand away and she went crashing forwards in the bed. Biaat giggled a little, but then stopped at the hurt expression on her face, "Ah.. the other trainees do that to me a lot, I just wanted to see what it felt like. I didn't think you'd fall for it though." a guilty expression passed his face, but Link noticed how he didn't actually apologise.

"It's fine." she grumbled, as she stood up, patting at her trainee uniform. She just assumed that's how the culture was here. The two of them approached Tian who had her arms crossed, "Anyway, what's the schedule for today?"

Tian just glared at Biaat, "We have a relatively simple day. You'd almost think they're trying to go _easy_ on us after the party yesterday."

"Yeah yeah, what have we got?"

Tian sighed, "A test in the morning on how to blend in with Hylians. And archery training in the afternoon with Kitt."

Biaat blanched, "That's not easy at all! You _know_ how Kitt is." Biaat poked his fingers together, "And I'm so bad at archery.."

"Then you should practice more." Tian spat at him as Link looked helplessly between the two children.

\---

A little while later, Link tried not to tremble as she sat at a desk, with a piece of parchment in front of her and an ink pen grasped in her fingers. Around her, she could hear the quiet sound of writing as the silent children wrote down on their own pieces of parchments. Link looked down at her parchment. There were such odd questions on here like 'What is the Hyrulean term for 'blademaster'?' and 'What is the Hyrulean term for 'trainee'?' What did those even _mean_ in context?

( _"Adult. Child."_ | Chi hissed to her from the slate. | _"Come on Link, those aren't even hard."_ ) Link quickly wrote down the answers in her probably way too childish scribbly writing. ( _"I'm sorry Chi, all of this is just.. so much."_ | Chi sighed. | _"I understand. To be completely honest, when you said back in Gerudo Town that you were coming here.. I.."_ | She hesitated. | _"I didn't want you to come either. I didn't want to see how bad it was with my own eyes.. or presence I guess."_ | _"Was it always like this?"_ | _"No. I raised my own daughter with love, despite the spite and hatred we felt for the Royal Family, and those Shiekah who joined alongside with me did the same for their own children. I.. guess it makes sense though, seperating their children from them. Over time, they probably felt it was more of an efficent way to raise a group of children together, then having each individual blademaster raise their own child."_ )

Link could feel the tears prick at her eyes, but held them back. ( _"What about the purification ritual? Was that a thing back then?"_ | _"Calamity, of course not! What kind of leader did you think I was Link? We didn't even have malice here in Hyrule after the first--"_ | Link winced in pain, as even through the slate she could hear the electricity from Chi's throat. | _"Chi, are you okay?!"_ | _"Gnnn.. yes. I'm fine."_ | _"I'm sorry Chi."_ | _"Link, I've already told you, none of this is your fault."_ ) Link continued to write on the parchment, as Chi gave her all the answers she needed.

Link suddenly felt like she had to ask, even though she knew she probably being extremely rude, those memories of Kohga with his family so casually talking about assassinating the Hyrulean Royal Family going through her mind.

( _"A hundred years ago.. the entire Royal Family was wiped out in the Calamity. The King and even the Princess."_ | _"..As far as we're aware, yes."_ | _"How did you feel about that Chi? Were you happy, finally seeing the Royal Family that persecuted you so long ago, being wiped out?"_ | Chi sighed. | _"I've had.. a long time to reflect on my actions from back then. I was so blisteringly angry at them, especially the King. After everything we did for them, everything we suffered through, for him to just banish us like that.. I just wanted to destroy that entire wretched Family."_ | Chi paused for a moment. | _"But his descendents.. they had nothing to do with that. They didn't banish us. So many people in Hyrule have suffered because of the Clan that I created. None more so then the Clan itself."_ | _"Do you.. regret making the Clan?"_ | _"I regret terribly what its become, but creating the Clan itself? No. Even now, I still despise that King, and that wretched Goddess with all of my heart. I just wish I could have lived longer, maybe I could have stopped its decline, even just for a little while. Maybe then so many wouldn't have had to suffer.."_ )

When Link was done with her parchment and the blademaster called for them to hand their parchments in, the children all moved into an orderly line (although hm.. Link supposed she should start thinking of them as _trainees_ , even if her heart hurt at the thought. It would be awful if she blew her cover by calling them the wrong word while talking with Biaat and Tian) Link hoped she could get the Thunder Helm soon. She didn't really want to be here anymore. No wonder so many of the Clan's members were so hardened after a lifetime of.. all of this.

In front of her, Biaat handed over his parchment, chewing his lip. "Pathetic." the blademaster spat out, "Not even half right? You're going to be the lowest ranked in the class yet again. You're to remain here until your archery lesson later, we'll go over your lessons again until we can get it into that worthless head of yours."

"But.. what about lunch.." Biaat muttered. The blademaster stood up and roughly backhanded the trainee who was slammed backwards into the floor. Link just watched horrified as her own fingers tightened over her parchment. "You don't deserve to eat." the blademaster spat, "You're lucky I don't take you to the purification chamber right now. Now, go sit down at your desk trainee."

Biaat steadily rose to his feet, tears visible in his eyes as he rubbed his bruised face before he went back to his desk. In front, Tian stepped forward, handing the blademaster her parchment as he skimmed over it, "Hm. Only one question wrong, but that's an acceptable score." despite that, Tian's hands tightened into fists at her side. Link could only guess what was going through her head. She had wanted a perfect score. "You're excused trainee, you can go to the kitchens now." Tian nodded sharply, turning to leave as Link.. or rather Anna stepped forward, trying to stop herself from shaking as she handed the blademaster her parchment.

The blademaster looked over her parchment.. and seemingly didn't say anything. Link tried not to shake. Her eyes were tightly shut. The blademaster glanced up at her, "..What's your name trainee?"

Link bent down to her knees, "We don't have names, respected blademaster sir! Names are worthless and unpure!"

The blademaster looked impressed, despite himself. "Astonishing, you're such a young class just fresh out of purification but you still got all the answers right, and you even added in extra details that weren't needed." From the door Tian's eyes widened as she stared at Anna. The blademaster nodded approvingly, "Your handwriting is a little crude for my tastes, but nothing that can't be fixed given time. Well done trainee. Tell the footsoldiers in the kitchens that you've earned the highest in my class and they'll give you an extra ration as a reward."

Later, as they were back in barracks Link watched Tian from afar who was curled up in her bed, chewing roughly on a banana and looking away from her. Link felt so.. guilty. She should have purposefully got some of the answers wrong. She looked down at the two bananas on her bed. Her stomach growled, she hadn't eaten since that Mighty Pursuit, as the blademasters had called it yesterday. She timidly peeled one, biting into the banana as she glanced at the other trainee. "Tian..?" Link asked, hesitantly.

"I don't get it." Tian spoke, a dark tone to her voice, not turning back to face Link, "I thought you were a bad trainee, but you outclassed even _me_."

"I'm sorry.."

"Don't apologise!" Tian snapped, turning to face her, "I'll just have to work harder, so I'm better then you, won't I?" Link nodded, despite herself. The more time she spent here, the more she was getting used to how everything was like, even if it still completely horrified her. "You're _not_ going to beat me at archery." Tian spat, "I'm the best in our class."

Later still as the class formed a line outside the archery training room, Link startled, recognising the footsoldier snoring loudly by the closed door. He had his mask removed and she could see it was the same one who had waved at her last night, the one who had let her in to this hideout in the first place.

"Ugh." Tian crossed her arms, "What's _he_ doing here? It's a trainee class, not a footsoldier one." Link stared at her confused and the girl sighed, "That's Bant. I always hear the blademasters talking about how he was one of the worst trainees ever in the most Clan's most recent history. I've heard he was even forced to take his partner as a _footsoldier_." her eyes narrowed. "We're supposed to seperate from our trainee groups once we graduate. I hope Biaat gets his act together soon, or he's gonna end up just like him."

Speak of the Calamity, Biaat sighed as he walked up to Tian and Anna, a tired look on the trainee's face. They could hear his stomach growling and the other trainees around them started to snicker as he joined the two. "How'd it go?" Tian asked.

"Bad.." Biaat sighed, "I don't know what's wrong with me Tian, I'm trying as hard as I can and I'm _still_ failing. It's just.. the knowledge won't stay in my head no matter how many times I'm taught." 

( _It's probably because you're malnutritioned._ ) Link thought to herself. Quickly, while there were no blademasters around, Link pulled out the second banana she had saved, pushing it into Biaat's hands. He stared, his eyes wide and even Tian uncrossed her arms in shock.

"Quickly." Link said, quietly as possible, "Eat it before our teacher comes."

"Why would you.." Biaat was staring at her, an incredulous look on his face.

( _"Link what are you doing?"_ | The voice came to her and Link was surprised that it was actually Chi and not her twin. | _"They're going to be even more suspicious of you."_ | _"I don't care. I'm not going to let a child starve right in front of me."_ )

"This was supposed to be _yours_. For getting the best results in the test." Biaat continued, looking down at the banana even as his stomach continued to growl.

"I don't need two, don't worry about it, it's fine."

Biaat was staring at her, as if he was seeing a completely different person. "After what I did to you this morning too.. thanks I guess.." the words were heavy and weird in his mouth. Yiga Clan trainees didn't just say 'sorry' and 'thanks' to each other, but at that moment.. the boy genuinely meant it. Next to them Tian let out a disgusted noise, but she didn't complain. It seemed she had been worried about Biaat's health as well. The boy quickly peeled the banana, chewing it down as fast as he could and next to her, Link noticed the footsoldier, Bant, who had one eye open a little, looking right at the three trainees in front of him. There was an unreadable look on the footsoldier's face and Link swallowed nervously.

"Alright you little bastards, line up." a voice suddenly called out to them, and the trainees moved back into line. Even the footsoldier sighed as he got to his feet. The red feathered Yiga Rito archer (Kitt, was it that Tian had called him?) was approaching them, his wings crossed and his teal eyes cold as ice as he looked out at the trainees. "Oh, you're here too _Bant_." he spat the name with such a vigour that Link felt bad for him. It was like the Rito was saying to the footsoldier 'You're not pure enough, so I'll call you by your actual name.'

"Hey, I said I'd come by for training, didn't I?" Bant shrugged his shoulders.

"Wait. Is the footsoldier going to train with us? How is that fair? He's going to completely outclass us." Tian suddenly spoke out loud, before gasping and covering her mouth, ashamed at herself for speaking out of turn.

Kitt glanced at her, but didn't yell at her for speaking out of turn thankfully. "Yes he is. I'll be ranking him on a different level from the rest of you though, so you'll probably get the highest ranking in my class yet again Tia--" he paused as he glanced away, looking ashamed of himself, " _trainee_." It seemed Kitt had a bit of a soft spot for Tian.

Link's hand tightened on her trainee uniform. She believed she understood then, why the Rito was so cold. He probably had a lot more to prove, being the only Rito in the Clan. He didn't even have a proper footsoldier uniform, he couldn't even wear his mask right on his face thanks to his beak. ( _Even the older members of the clan.. they've suffered so much. This life, it's all they've ever known, and now they pass these traumas onto the generations that come after them, and even their own allies in the Clan._ )

Depsite herself, Link's eyes narrowed. Dorian.. how could he come back here? Even if he truly believed the Clan's brainwashing that he was a monster, he had Kiyah and his children and a whole village that had accepted him and his history. Now he was going to become their leader. He was going to cause a whole new generation to suffer, just like he had. How could he do that?

Kitt opened the door to the archery training room, "Come on then, all of you, go grab a training bow and we'll begin."

The trainees approached the bows and Link startled, recognising them. They were Sheikah phrenic bows, like the one she had gotten from Kakariko and had recently lost. Link touched the bow, running her hand over the drawstring longingly. She had used that bow on Mount Lanayru with the Naydra situation. Oh, how Link _wished_ she could take it with her.

Bant reached out for one of the bows, but Kitt placed his wing out, stopping him. "Not you. You're going to use your duplex bow. I won't have you use an easy bow like the phrenic bow." Bant frowned, but pulled out his duplex bow from his back. "..Fine." all the trainees gasped at it and Tian especially looked envious.

"Wow.. an actual duplex bow." Biaat muttered, "This will be great, we can actually see how a proper footsoldier uses one." Bant looked at the trainees and Link saw the tired look in his middle aged face. If his life was anything like Biaat's, Link felt so _bad_ for him.

Kitt pressed a button and two archery training targets appeared, "Footsoldier. Fire two arrows right in the center of the targets at once."

Bant glared at Kitt, "We're the same age Kitt, don't talk to me like you're a blademaster." but he loaded two arrows into the bow anyway, firing as the arrows shot off hitting both targets. The left one hit right just outside of the direct center of the yellow dot, but the right completely missed it, hitting the red ring instead.

"Hm. Sloppy." Kitt said as approached the targets, "You used to be able to hit both centers at once, despite your incompetence."

"Give me a break!" Bant snapped and the trainees looked uncomfortable as they shuffled around on their feet. They were pretty used to being punished by the older members, but they weren't at all used to older members arguing around them. "I'm in my fourties now, I'm not as young as I used to be, and using a duplex bow with two arrows at once is hard enough as it is."

Link winced, thinking about the Savage Lynel Bow stored in the slate. What about using three _bomb arrows_ at once?

Kitt put his wing around Tian's shoulders as he moved her forwards to take Bant's place. "Trainee, fire at the right target, if you will."

Tian loaded an arrow into her bow, as it shot off piercing the right target right in the center of the yellow dot.

Bant looked positevely miserable, "Come on Kitt, that doesn't count and you know it. Phrenic bows are much better for long range hits then duplex bows."

" _Stop. Calling. Me. That. Name. In. Front. Of. The. Trainees._ " Kitt hissed.

"Did you bring me here just to have me get outclassed by trainees?" Bant almost looked like he was going to cry, "That's low, even for _you_. If the only reason I'm here is to be mocked, then I'm leaving." he turned to leave the room, but Kitt rushed forwards, slamming his wing on the door to stop him from leaving. The trainees backed away. It seemed they weren't getting a proper lesson today. This situation had been building between the failed Clan member and the Rito archery teacher for some time.

"You could have _been_ something Bant." Kitt hissed, "You're not like me, Dot and Arbiter. You were actually _born_ into this Clan. You could have been a top blademaster right there alongside your partner, but here you are about to be flunked out of your last possible chance. You can't cook, so you're useless in the kitchens, and you can't make elixirs, so you can't join the medic division. I've heard from the blademasters too, how weak and emotional you were when it came to simple ambush missions. How you would go easy on our Clan's enemies."

"They're not supposed to be your.." Bant looked so _tired_ as he backed away to the wall even as Kitt approached him.

Kitt was continuing, "It took Dot over fifty years just to figure out how to use the teleport rune. Arbiter's supposed to have Gerudo magic, but even he struggles with it. And me.." Kitt tightened his wings together, "I'm _unpure_. I don't know why you all let me stay here."

"No you're not." Bant looked at him, "You shouldn't listen to the blademasters Kitt, you went through the purificatual ritual too, just like we did, you _belong_ with us."

"Do you even _hear_ yourself?!" Kitt spat, "That means _nothing_ coming from you!"

Link looked wildly at all the trainees around her who were all cowering together. Link looked at Tian's face, there was a downright _horrified_ expression on the girl's face and Link then noticed how she was holding hands with Biaat. Before she knew it, Link was rushing forwards, "Please, _stop_!!"

Bant and Kitt glanced at her alarmed. It was like they had completely forgotten the trainees were there. Kitt groaned out, falling to the floor, his red wings moving to the side of his head, "..What is wrong with me. I'm supposed to be dedicated to the Great Calamity. This is what I was born to--"

"Kitt. Don't finish that sentance. Please." Bant placed his hands on the Rito's shoulder and the Rito flinched away him. The footsoldier turned to Link, "..Hey, trainee, what's your name?"

Link tensed a little, "We're not supposed to have names."

"No-one here is going to judge you. There are no blademasters here." Bant looked up at the trainees, a miserable look in his face, "Hey trainees, you're not gonna tell on your archery teacher here for today, right? We're all in this together, aren't we?"

The trainees nodded, and even Tian, who seemingly had a soft spot for the Rito too, nodded as well. Bant sighed, "What's your name?"

"..Anna, sir."

"Anna.." Bant looked at her, "Do you want to be a blademaster?"

Link swallowed, "Yes." ( _No. Calamity, no._ )

"Good. Hold onto that dream. That goes the same for all of you trainees. Work hard.. and don't be like me." Bant opened his arms out and there was a look of despair in his eyes, "We're all bound together in this Clan, by our suffering and the Great Calamity's graces. No matter how different we are, we are bound together by the malice that runs through each and every one of our veins. Remember trainees, we are more powerful together then we are apart. We shall follow our Masters Kohga and Dorian too, until the day we can join our beloved Lord the Great Calamity itself and burn down all our enemies."

The trainees were looking at Bant amazed and even Kitt felt stunned as he looked up at Bant. He had no idea that Bant could do such a powerful sermon. He almost sounded like Master Kohga himself then. Bant raised his fist above his head, "For Master Kohga, for Master Dorian and most of all, for the Great Calamity!" The trainees followed suit, as did Kitt and Link choked as she raised her own hand. She had to get out of here _now_.

\---

Link ran through the hideout as fast as she could, tears pricking her eyes. It seemed the trainees had a little free time now, with their lessons concluded for the day and no-one in the halls were paying her any attention. Thunder Helm. Thunder Helm _now_. And then she'd get out of here. ( _"Hey, you said you can teleport me right?"_ | _"I never said it was a teleport.. well, not a proper one anyway like the teleportation rune, but yes I can get you out of there."_ | _"Good. As soon as I have the Thunder Helm, get me out of this this place."_ ) The voice didn't respond. Link was surprised it wasn't telling her 'I told you so.'

She continued down the path. This way, she was sure. This way would lead to the room they were in last night. But Link stopped stunned as she realised she had ended up in the first room in the hideout, the center area with the statues. "No.." she choked out as she suddenly felt herself falling back.

( _There he was, the younger Kohga. He was older still and he wasn't wearing his footsoldier uniform, he seemed to be wearing regular Hylian garb as he and.. Link startled, that wasn't Iga with him. It was a young Sheikah woman, as the two of them headed over a bridge that she recognised. Kakariko Bridge._

_"Kohga stop!" the Sheikah woman cried out._

_"No!" the young man cried out as he looked back at her with panicky red eyes, "We need to get to Kakariko immediately, and then.." he winced as he gritted his teeth, "And then the Castle."_

_"Can't we just stay in Kakariko? If you.." she pressed her hands to her stomach and Link jolted. She was **preganant**. "If you warn the Hyrulean Royal Family, you know they'll come after you."_

_"I don't care."_

_"Kohga.."_

_"Please, don't call me that name!" the young man looked at the woman, tears filling his eyes, "If the Calamity awakens, there'll be nothing left! You, me.." he looked at her stomach, "Our child.." his hands tightened into fists at his side, "All of Hyrule.. and the Yiga Clan, the family I left behind, too. The Calamity won't discriminate between them."_

_The man looked up, determination in his eyes, "I have to tell the Royal Family about the Calamity.. and about the only thing that can stop it, the Divine Beasts."_

_No. **No**. Link knew who this man was._

_"And please, dear, from today, can you call me Jaq?"_ )

Link fell to her knees right there in front of the pedestal as tears fell freely down her face. _Jaq_. Robbie's father Jaq. The one who had warned the Hyrulean Royal Family about the Calamity and was killed by the Yiga Clan.. by his own family. She started to sob loudly. Did Robbie know that his father had been part of the Yiga Clan? She liked that weird old man so much, how could Link ever break the news to him? Tightening her hands around her trainee uniform, Link understood the pain Kass must have been in, knowing the things he knew and being unable to tell those most affected.

She wanted out. She didn't want to be in this miserable traumatising cult's hideout anymore. Forget the Thunder Helm, she'd figure out a different way to get to Naboris. Link heard a growl from behind her and turned around, her eyes widening as she realised who it was behind her, just from the mask.. with one horn either side of it.

\---

Dorian had been wandering through the halls of the hideout, not paying attention to anything around him, ignoring even the blademasters as they called out to him. Of course, they wanted to talk to him now that the announcement was official. They wanted to join his top circle of blademasters. Jokes on them, Dorian thought bitterly, he wouldn't be _having_ a top circle once he officially became master. He would grind every single one of them into the dirt until they defected, took their own lives, or he did it for them. He would even have to stop showing compassion to those three non born Clan members too, once Kohga was officially out of the picture.

Dorian stopped as he reached the passage leading to the entrance of the hideout as he glanced back. There he saw her, the trainee on her knees, _sobbing_ her little heart out. Once upon a time, Dorian would have felt sympathy for her, but now he felt _nothing_. His heart was too hardened over this past six.. or was it almost seven years since he had first left Kakariko. Would he even react if it was his own daughters crying in front of him? He genuinely didn't know. Dorian had already accepted that he wasn't going to survive this little plan of his, and still followed it anyway.

Dorian couldn't stop now. He had worked so hard the past six years, rising from the rank of footsoldier, to blademaster, and even further beyond. Working non stop, tirelessly, even as his body screamed for him to stop from the exhaustion, catching Kohga's attention more and more with each and every successful mission, until the Master had finally offered the position to him.

( _"'Master?'" Dorian grinned widely behind his mask. Yes. Finally. This was what he had working for all this time._

_"Yeah sure, why not." Kohga yawned tiredly, "You're already my top blademaster Dorian and I'm not getting any younger here. You already know my predicament I assume?"_

_"You never had any children."_

_Kohga turned away from him, "Mmhm."_

_"If I may ask Master, why not?" It was so strange to Dorian, that the dynasty of Kohga that had seemingly existed for ten thousand years would just.. end._

_"Didn't want to. I'm not really the parenting type." So you admit it, Dorian scoffed internally. "Besides, I have the whole clan as my family, I didn't need any kids of my own." There was something in Kohga's voice that was strange. He seemed.. hesitant about this topic in particular. "So you'll accept I presume?"_

_"I.." He couldn't look too willing, not with the persona he had put up all these years, "To be completely honest Master Kohga, I'm not sure if I'm worthy enough for such an honour."_

_"Oh believe me Dorian." Kohga glanced back at him and there was a look in those grey eyes that Dorian couldn't place. "You are more then worthy."_ )

Dorian growled as he approached the trainee and she startled, turning to face him with her red (in more ways then one) eyes which widened immediately when she realised who it was.

"Trainee." Dorian muttered, "What are you _doing_ out here?

"I..I.." the trainee stammered, "we..we're.." oh Calamity, this trainee was a _wreck_. Dorian hadn't even been defacto leader for a whole day yet and already he had trainees like this one cowering before him. At least wait until Kohga was gone before you start acting that way.

Dorian pressed his back up straight, "Come on trainee." he spoken sternly, "Control yourself, now. You're a member of this Clan and a devotee of the Great Calamity. You need to be better then this, if we're going to kill our enemies and that wretched Hero once and for all."

That was almost certainly the wrong thing to say. Dorian found himself actually _stunned_ as the trainee began to wail even more loudly. Dorian glanced to his sides panicking. No, no, this was _bad_. He had to shut her up. Dorian started to reach out for the girl, when suddenly a flood of talismans entered the center area and Dorian looked up, gritting his teeth together.

"So loud.." Kohga muttered as he yawned, "How am I supposed to get any kind of sleep around here?" Kohga looked down at the situation in front of him, the trainee wailing loudly and Dorian with his hand outstretched towards her. Dorian stepped back, "Master Kohga!" he bent down.

"Oh Dorian, you don't have to call me that anymore, just Kohga will do fine." Kohga peered down at the trainee. "..What's up with her?"

"I'm not sure Mas-.. Kohga, sir."

"Hey." Kohga bent down to the wailing girl, reaching out and patting her lightly on her black hair. The elderly master had never been good at this kind of thing and the way she was crying made him feel.. uncomfortable. He was reminded of a small boy who once cried just like this, right in front of this very same pedestal. "Come on now trainee, didn't we all have such a fun time last night?" Hm. Maybe he should have given the trainees a break for a day. His blademasters wouldn't have liked that though. Kohga punched the bottom of his fist to his other open palm as an idea came to him, "Oh, I know just the trick! I think what this trainee needs is a little purification to reaffirm her heart!" he turned to Dorian, "I'll leave that with you Dorian, since you'll be taking over ritual duties starting from next year's class."

Dorian nodded, "Yes Kohga." he grabbed the girl's arm roughly as he he began to pull her down the hallway and the girl startled, looking back at Kohga a panicked expression on her face, as he just waved at her, "Only one or two fingers at the most Dorian, don't make it _too_ extreme now!"

Dorian grit his teeth under his mask as he pulled the girl roughly through the hallways of the hideout. Other trainees were coming out of their barracks now, footsoldiers and blademasters too, looking at their new Master as he pulled the trainee with him. More and more he walked forwards, to the very ends of the hideout before reaching a small room and Dorian slammed open the door, roughly pushing the girl into the room and shutting the door behind him. He looked out towards it and the girl's eyes widened as she saw the barrel of pure malice in the center of the room, the contents bubbling with the sickly red substance.

"One finger. Ten seconds." Dorian said as he crossed his arms. "Hurry it up trainee, I'm a busy monster now." The girl backed away from him, pressing her back to the wall and Dorian frowned beneath his mask. What was _with_ this trainee?

"I don't want too."

How insolent..! Dorian growled, grabbing her hand as he pulled her forwards again to the barrel himself, hovering her hand right over it, "It's a direct order from Master Kohga himself! _Now_ trainee!"

"NO!" the girl screamed and suddenly talismans appeared around her as the girl dropped her disguise magic, the pale red eyed trainee disappearing and Dorian found himself horrified, dropping her hand as he looked into the dark skinned Hylian Hero.. Link's green eyes. "I don't _want_ too Dorian!"

Dorian backed away into the closed door, as sheer panic rushed through his body. No, this couldn't be happening.. what was she _doing_ here?! How long had she been here for?! How much did she know about the Clan?! Bile was rising up in his throat, but he pushed it down. He hadn't even been able to tell her apart from a regular trainee!

"How.." he tried to regain control of himself, "how are you using Yiga magic?" he looked down at her outfit. A stealth outfit, just like the first night he had met her back in Kakariko, but dyed white instead of the blue she had had that night. She wasn't wearing the mask though, in fact she had nothing on her head whatsoever and Dorian looked up at her hair, as another shock went through him. Almost a quarter of her usually blonde hair had turned a pale almost Sheikah white. ( _What is happening to her?_ ) The desperate thought crossed Dorian's mind before he could stop it.

"Please.." the girl sobbed out and then suddenly, she was at his side, pressing her head into his blademaster outfit and pressing her little fists to his stomach as she cried. " _Please_ Dorian, I need the Thunder Helm. It's the only way I can save Urbosa. Then I'll leave, and you can go back to being the leader of the Yiga Clan, or a monster, or anything you want!"

Dorian panicked as he looked backwards, making sure the door was tightly shut before looking back down at the girl, his hands tightening into fists. She had been here at the party last night. No wonder why she was so _wrecked_. He grabbed the girl's shoulders as he teleported both of them as far as he could away from this wretched hideout to Vatorsa Snowfield up in the Highlands.

Link gasped as she pulled away from him when they reappeared, shivering as she pulled something he couldn't see from her belt. She tapped it and the cloaking magic was removed as she pulled a spicy elixir from the slate, pulling the stopper and quickly chugging it down.

Dorian was blisteringly angry. How could the Gerudo send this child to their hideout, even in disguise magic? "Link." he spoke out, and she looked up at him, shocked at the use of her name, " _How_ are you using Yiga rune magic?"

"It's.." Link pressed a hand to her chest, "a long story."

"I have the time."

"Someone I met gave me the ability." Link looked at him, and actually let out a shaky laugh, "It was.. ah.. not long after the last time we met at the Spring of Courage actually." he looked at her green eyes, and the pain in them and found himself getting even angrier. Hatred burned inside him so much that it was overwhelming. How dare they. How dare _all_ of them. The Goddess, his ancestors, that Rito bard, the four tribes.. every single person who had put her on this path, he cursed all of them. "Um.. I actually have you to thank for it as well."

..What??

Link pressed her hand to her chest, "If you hadn't lured me to the Spring of Courage, I would have never found the path forwards to recieve this gift. It's helped me so well, because of it I was able to see through Yiga disguise magic so I didn't have to worry about being attacked. I even survived a lynel attack because of the teleport magic. I.. ah.." Link looked at him, "I even used the same technique you did back at Luto's Crossing that you did with that moblin, pulling the lynel over the bridge."

Dorian threw his head back as he cackled almost maniacally as Link watched him with her wide green eyes. Stupid. This whole thing was so _stupid_.

"Y-you helped me too, didn't you? You taught me about elixirs back in Zora's Domain, and you stopped the Hyrulean army from taking notice of a child right there in Akkala."

" _You tiny brave idiot!_ " Dorian screamed out loud, "I was trying to _kidnap_ you!" Link's eyes widened even more as held tightly onto the Sheikah slate. "I was going to rip that blasted Sheikah slate from your belt and then deliver you back to your home before you even got to a single Divine Beast!" Dorian continued, his eyes wild behind his mask as he looked down at the girl. "But then that damned Zora Prince wouldn't leave all night, and there were tons of travellers on the road once we left the Akkala Stable, and I couldn't get you alone!"

Link looked down at the Sheikah slate. "The Spring of Courage, that was my last bet. But you already had that blasted Sheikah's weapons by then, and you'd become so strong, and I still couldn't stop you!" Dorian looked down at his own clothed hands, "How worthless.. I'm going to be the next leader of the Yiga Clan and I couldn't stop one twelve year old child."

The snowstorm was heavy around them and Link stared at him. "Why.." Link croaked out, and Dorian looked back at her, "Why would you _want_ to be the Yiga Clan's leader? After everything they've done.. that they continue to do even to their own people?" Link breathed out, the cold air showing on her breath as she looked directly at him, her young eyes so fierce, "The harsh training, this warped cult mentality about how you're monsters, the p-purification r-ritual.." Link hand went to her shoulder. "Surely you must know by now that the Calamity isn't going to spare the Yiga Clan. If it destroys Hyrule, it's going to destory all of Hyrule, the Yiga Clan included!"

" _YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT?!_ " Dorian screamed out, his frustration and hatred reaching a boiling point inside him, "Kohga's a delusional _LUNATIC_!!" Link's fingers tightened around the slate as she stared at him. "That's why I decided, when I left Kakariko all those years ago, I was going to personally become Master myself so I could destroy this wretched evil clan myself!!"

Link stumbled as she fell to her knees. Her green eyes were staring at him. Slowly he watched as she lifted her hand, wrapping the fingers around her throat. Seemed she didn't really know what to say in response to that.

Dorian sighed as he stepped forwards, his feet crunching in the snow as he approached her, "..Or at least, that _was_ the plan originally." Dorian reached for his mask, pulling it off, as he bent to his knees right in front of the girl, placing the mask down in the snow next to him, as Link looked up at his face, her eyes drifing over the malice burn on the left side of his face.

"And then I met you, that night in Kakariko Village." Dorian continued quietly, "I didn't even realise you were a child when I first fought you. I was.." his grey eyes shut as an odd smile drifted onto his face, ".. _disgusted_. I never had any love for the Goddess and my ancient Sheikah ancestors, that was true, but seeing a child, barely that much older then my eldest daughter, in front of me with the Legendary Blade that Seals the Darkness.. I knew how much you were going to suffer on this journey of yours." he spread his arms out with his eyes still shuit, "And look how I was _right_. You're so desperate to be this Hero that Hyrule needs, you're willing to completely destroy yourself to do so."

Link swallowed heavily, her fingers tightened around her throat. "That's.." she croaked out, "That's my choice to make."

Dorian scoffed as he reopened his grey eyes, "No. No it isn't. You come from a line of Legendary Heroes. You never had a choice, from the moment you were born and named 'Link'." he laughed bitterly, "I suppose that makes you no different from us Yiga Clan, in the end."

Link shakily rose to her feet, looking at Dorian who was still taller then her, even bent over on his knees. Her hand tightened on the Sheikah slate at her side. "I'm not.." she shut her eyes, painfully. No, he was _right_. She had completely accepted her role as Hero these last few weeks, hadn't she? Link shook her head, "It doesn't matter, I'm the only one who can do this."

Dorian cackled wildly, "Ah, but that's where you're _wrong_." the future Yiga Clan master stood back up to his full height, taking once more the mask Kohga had given him. "Didn't I tell you Link? My plans have _changed_." he started to walk away from her, his arms still outstretched, "See Link, I've been learning, not just Kohga's specialised rune magic, but some of my own too, that even he doesn't know." he turned to Link, a deranged look in his own grey eyes, "But one of the specialised runes he did teach me.." Dorian glanced to the slate, "Try using stasis on me, go on _try it_."

Despite herself, Link raised the slate and tapped the stasis rune. It wouldn't even activate. Dorian remained where he was. "But you see Link, if I do this." he raised his hand and snapped his fingers and Link suddenly completely froze in place, her green eyes wide. She couldn't even move a muscle. Is this what it felt like, having stasis performed on you? She could breathe fine and it didn't hurt but.. it was still _unnverving_. A few seconds later, the stasis broke and Link gasped out as she stepped back, her feet crunching in the snow.

"I'm not very good at it though." Dorian muttered as he looked down at his hands, "That's the difference between your stasis and mine isn't it? Yours is permanent, while mine barely lasts a few seconds. It won't last enough for me to knock you out and take you home. And then there's this as well." Dorian raised a finger as a blue bomb made of pure Sheikah energy appeared. "These things are how I was able to get the Thunder Helm after all." he pressed his fingertips of his hand that had the levitating bomb and it disappeared. "Why, with all this runes at my disposal, I could do practically anything couldn't I Link?" Dorian grinned, "I could even destroy the Great Calamity."

( _"..What."_ ) The voice in the slate was completely on alert. There was a dark tone in that voice, but Link wasn't paying attention to it at all as the panic rose up in her, "No.. no. You'll _die_."

"Hm. Most likely. But I've accepted that. As long as I can destroy the Calamity it doesn't matter what happens to me."

"But what about your family..?"

"I'm doing this for their sakes. Had I stayed in Kakariko, I would have been branded a traitor and they all would have all been in danger, not just my family but the village at large." Dorian's voice was so calm, but Link's hands tightened around the Sheikah symbol on her chest guard anyway.

Link's raised her head and she looked up at him fiercely, "I won't allow you to do this."

"You don't have a choice." Dorian hissed, "I'm so much more powerful now then I was at the Spring of Courage." he raised his hand as talismans appeared and a large metal spiky ball appeared. "Your runes are no match for mine Link. And when I defeat you, I'll take that slate of yours and drop it down that hole back at the hideout where it will remain for the rest of eternity. Then I'm taking you home, where you can live the rest of your life without having to worry about being a Hero."

"I'll.. I'll stop you. And then I'll take back the Thunder Helm." Link swallowed nervously as she tapped the slate to activate the storage and pull out a weapon, but Dorian laughed.

"How? By defending constantly like you did back in the Spring of Courage? That won't work this time."

Link pulled out Robbie's Ancient Shield and rose it high and Dorian grinned as he threw the spiky ball. Link pooled her own Yiga magic, teleporting behind Dorian but the future Yiga Clan Master was quicker, teleporting himself right in front of her. Link gasped as suddenly she found one of those blue energy bombs right in front of her shield and she lifted it up desperately as Dorian teleported back and the bomb went off. Link staggered back as the two Sheikah energy sources hitting each other, and Robbie's Ancient Shield flickered, before permanently deactivating, nothing remaining of it but its core. Link looked at the shield desperately as Dorian shrugged and chuckled, "Which shield would you like to use next Link?"

Link tapped the slate and pulled out the Savage Lynel Shield. "Oh wow." Dorian cocked his head, "So you really _did_ take out a lynel. Not sure why I'm so surprised though, you wouldn't lie about that would you, it's not in your nature after all." he pointed a finger out to her with his thumb raised as he materialized a second bomb, before firing it off at her. Link grit her teeth, and just as the bomb was about to hit her shield, she parried with it, sending it back to Dorian.

The future Yiga Clan Master laughed out loud as he levitated up, the bomb falling to the snow below him before exploding. "Ohoho~" he almost sounded like Kohga there, "Careful Link, I thought you weren't trying to _hurt_ me."

"I'm not!" Link cried out, realising what she had just done. She couldn't send his own magic back at him. She couldn't parry. She couldn't attack. What was she going to _do_?

Dorian suddenly teleported in front of her once more, bringing out another bomb and Link gasped as she raised her shield without thinking. The bomb went off and Link staggered back once more as the Savage Lynel Shield was broken into small metal shards which crumbled to the snow below her. "How many shields are you going to use before you realise how _pointless_ this is?" Dorian looked almost bored. Link reached for the slate again, using cryonis on the snow around her forming a sort of ice shield box around herself.

Dorian glanced at her, a blank look on his face. "Really now, an ice barrier? You won't get the Thunder Helm from me that way." a few talismans appeared around him and suddenly there was one of those strange fire rods in his hands. Dorian lifted the fire rod as he levitated higher, before firing it down on her. Link grit her teeth. That wasn't going to work. The only way heat could affect cryonis was if it was a natural hot spring like the ones around Death Mountain. Dorian let out a tsk as he threw away the fire rod. "Figured. I read about cryonis, I just wanted to see how strong it was. No matter though." he raised his hand as one of those metal spiky balls appeared again, "This should do the trick." he fired the spiky ball at her and Link gasped as she teleported out of the ice barrier just in time for the barrier to be smashed by the metal spikes, the ball smashing down into the snow where she had been standing previously.

Before she had realised it, Link had pulled out another shield from her slate.. the shield of the mind's eyes and Dorian let out a tsk, teleporting back down to her and activating another a bomb. "I'm surprised you still have this little Sheikah shield, with all the much better ones you've been using." he threw the bomb out at her and Link staggered back and shuddered, her eyes shut painfully as she felt the shield shatter into little wooden pieces. Dorian teleported back to where he had been before, levitating above the ground once more, "What next Link?"

"You won't stop me!" Link yelled at him, "Even.. even if you take the Sheikah slate away from me, it doesn't matter. I can use my runes without it now!" Link raised her hand as she wrote Ancient Shiekah text in the sky, channeling Medoh's power and climbed the clouds so that she was almost levitating right there next to him. Dorian looked at her, one eye shut with a blank look on his face.

"Hmm.. the Divine Beast powers. Yes, I saw you use that same one back at Rito Village." Link grit her teeth, no surprise on her face, "So, the Rito bard did indeed tell you. I figured he was too much of a _coward_ too."

"Don't." Link spat, "Say anything about Kass. You don't know how much he's suffered."

"Oh but I do. Your parents too, and your uncle, and great grandfather." Link tightened her clasped hands together. "There were others too, even before them. Would you like me to tell you about them Link?"

The slate let out an alarmed beep and Link suddenly felt her body being pulled back away from Dorian's against her will, the two levitating with a large distance now between then. Dorian raised an eyebrow. "Hm. No matter. Those Divine Beast powers are a bit troublesome I admit, but it's nothing I can't deal with." a blank expression crossed his face, "All I have to is make sure you _forget_ you can use them in the first place."

The slate began to beep a little louder, more alarmed. Link's hands gripped on the slate as she began to write Ancient Sheikah text before a fiery barrier surrounded her small body as Dorian looked over her, surprise in his grey eyes. "..What _is_ that?" Dorian muttered quietly. It almost looked like that Goron Champion's ability, but that couldn't be right. His eyes flickered down to the Sheikah slate grasped in her hands and back up to her turning white Sheikah hair. No.. it couldn't be could it?

Dorian summoned another metal spiky ball, firing it down to the girl, but this time the barrier didn't break as the metal ball just bounced harmlessly off her. The girl was writing again before a fierce wind surrounded her, similiar but different from Medoh's power. Dorian gasped as the fierce winds almost knocked him back, so strong that even his levitating was affected. He looked up at her eyes.. blue. Bright Sheikah energy blue. When had that happened? He hadn't been paying attention at all. Dorian grit his teeth.

Again the girl started to write Ancient Sheikah text and this time Dorian felt the panic rise in him as lightning started to gather at the girl's fingertips. What was she doing? Didn't she say she wasn't trying to kill him? The girl pointed her finger out just like he had done earlier and fired off a bolt of lightning. Dorian gasped as he quickly teleported, back down to the snow below him. The girl was much higher then him now as she levitated in the air and Dorian looked to her desperately. There was something.. off about her. She hadn't talked in a while now, and her eyes.. Dorian looked as even her entire eyes glowed a bright blue, a deep blue glow appearing around her body as even the Sheikah slate itself seemed to levitate in front of her. Link suddenly gagged and Dorian's eyes widened in horror. There was a red sickly substance.. _malice_ dripping from the girl's mouth.

Dorian's hands shook, despite himself and ahead of him, the girl rose both of her hands into the air, a sphere of water appearing in her left hand, and a lava bomb appearing in her right. Way too late, Dorian finally realised what was going on. She wasn't _just_ using the Divine Beast powers. It was like her entire _spirit_ had been bonded to the Divine Beasts through the Sheikah slate, and to their Champions spirits as well. Including the one in the Gerudo desert, Naboris and Urbosa, despite the fact that Urbosa was still under the Calamity's control. Hence the malice that now oozed from her mouth.

"Stop it Link!" Dorian screamed out, fear for the girl overriding even his own senses, "You're going to _kill_ yourself!"

"She will survive." It was Link's voice, bubbling with malice, but there was an ethereal tone to it, "This vessel, the last descendant of the Heroes, is the only thing that can kill the Calamity. You're _delusional_ if you honestly think a single Sheikah can even come _close_ to the Spirit of the Hero."

Vessel..? Dorian's eyes widened. That wasn't _Link_.

"The Spirit of the Hero." despite the fear he felt, Dorian felt angered and he laughed despite himself. "The Blood of the Goddess, and the Reincarnation of Hatred." he glared at the thing in front of him that was controlling Link's body, "You realise that one of those things isn't like the others, right?" he laughed bitterly, "The Goddess and the Calamity.. they're the reason this whole thing started in the first place. The Hero was just another victim of their endless war. Probably the one victim in this whole thing who suffered _the most_."

Dorian gasped out loud as the lava bomb and sphere of water were thrown at him and he teleported back as far as he could as they hit together at the area he had been, making the snow where he had been standing melt. Dorian clutched his chest as he panted heavily. Too much magic. He was using _too much_. Still, he wouldn't give in, not now.

"You think you can defy fate's curse, descendant?" the _thing_ in front of him tapped the slate and Dorian's eyes widened as the Sword.. the Blade the Seals the Darkness was pulled out. He looked down to the open area below the snowfield, with that hole in the center. "Only the Hero can destroy the Calamity. That is how it has always been, and that is how it will always _be_. You're no Hero, you're just--"

"A monster." Dorian growled, "I _know_." he outspread his arms as a desperate chuckle rose from his throat, pulling the mask from his face again, "That's why it _has_ to be me. It's a fitting potent end for that wretched Calamity, don't you think? To be destroyed by one of it's own _descendants_ , with the same malice running through their veins!"

The thing possessing Link almost staggered back, and a look of shock passed through Link's face, her eyes flickering back to green for a moment before she flinched and screamed out, the blue overtaking her eyes once more. "When did the Yiga Clan figure out.." suddenly she teleported right in front of Dorian, grabbing the front of his blademaster uniform and teleporting again, back down to that open area outside the Yiga Clan hideout. Dorian gasped as he reappeared, staggering back a little from Link's body.

The voice was speaking to him again, "I knew this clan was dangerous, but I didn't realise just how so." one of Link's hands was raised into the air by the spirit possessing her, and Dorian suddenly found a shield barrier box, much like the one he had used on Kiyah all those months ago, surrounding him. "You're too dangerous to be kept alive."

Dorian pressed his hands together, summoning his teleport talismans.. but gasped out, realising for some reason, he couldn't teleport from the box. Frantically, he slammed his fists down on the barrier, but it wouldn't budge. The voice was speaking to him again, "You used this rune as a protective barrier, did you not descendant? I suppose you wouldn't know this, but it has another use too." The mask clasped in his hand fell to the bottom of the blue box and Dorian choked out as his hands flew to his throat. He was struggling to _breathe_. It was like the air in the box was being sucked out slowly. He raised his grey eyes to Link's body, a desperate look in them as the _thing_ possessing her stepped towards the box.

The voice was continuing to speak, "You see, this specific rune magic is used to preserve our bodies in the shrines we created long ago, long after our spirits should have passed on." Dorian collapsed to his knees in the barrier box.

"Of course, we used this magic long ago too, in time immemorial, but that had a devestating affect on those our ancient Sheikah ancestors used it on. They would become living corpses, with no mind of their own." the voice chuckled darkly as Link's body bent to her knees, blue eyes meeting Dorian's gray, "So I guess it was sort of true, those deluded ideas you Yiga Clan members have been passing too each other. Since your ancestors ended up becoming the very ReDead they created, even with their minds intact."

 _ReDead_.. the box was spinning around him and Dorian collapsed to bottom of the box entirely, even as he desperately tried to pull himself to the barrier walls.

"Stop, please." a voice called out and Dorian gasped. Suddenly he was able to breathe again, even if just barely and he raised his head. In front of him, Link had her right arm raised in front of her, but her left arm was holding onto it, trembling heavily. Dorian looked up at her face. Her right eye was still blue, cold and focused, but her left was green, tears running down one half of her face, "Let him go." Link was speaking.

"No." the ethereal voice came out of her mouth, "He's too dangerous to be kept alive."

"That's not your choice to make!" Link was yelling and despite himself, Dorian glanced to the back door that lead to interor of the hideout, with a panicked expression. It was still shut, Kohga was probably back still in the center area, having fallen asleep back there.

"Your compliance is unneccesary." the ethereal voice spoke out, "You refuse to kill him, so I shall do it for you."

"NO!" Link's head turned wildly, "I'm going to save him too! I'm going to.. save the entire Yiga Clan!"

Dorian's eyes widened despite himself. Save.. the entire Yiga Clan? That was _impossible_.

"You can't." Dorian heard himself speak out and was surprised to hear the ethereal voice speak at same words at the same time. The voice continued, "The Yiga Clan are too gone in their own madness Link. You can't save them."

Despite himself, Dorian nodded as he pressed his hands to the box. "You can't save everyone Link. There are those who _can't_ be saved, there are those who don't _need_ to be saved, and there are those.." his fingers trembled slightly, "who don't _want_ to be saved."

"I don't care!" Link yelled out, "I won't let someone suffer in front of me, if I can help it! We're all.. Hyruleans." Link was starting to stagger backwards as she fought for control of her own body. Dorian gasped out, realising she was moving closer and closer to that hole in the center of the outdoor area, "Zora, Gorons, Rito, Gerudo, Koroks, Hylians, Sheikah and Yiga too!" Link looked at Dorian, a desperate look in her one green eye, "And.. maybe you were _right_ about me Dorian, maybe I didn't have a choice to become a Hero. But it's fine, I accept my role. Because for me.. being a Hero doesn't just mean stopping the Calamity and saving the Princess." Link choked out, "After all, the Princess already died right? I failed there." she was backing away even further, her feet stopping right at the edge of the hole. "For me, being a Hero means protecting everyone in Hyrule!" she looked up, "And if I can't do that, then I don't deserve to be a Hero in the first place!"

"Link, _STOP_!" the ethereal voice yelled out at her from her own body, "We _need_ you!" but Link fought back anyway.

"Dorian.. this.. all of this.." she looked up at him, tears running down her face as she smiled widely, " _This is what I was born to do_."

( _A small boy, too young, far too young, both hands plunged into the bubbling sickly purple red sludge even as the pain choked his entire body, as he yelled out, his eyes focused on that hole right in front of him, “Serving the Great Calamity.. this is what I was born to do!”_ )

The Hero.. the Hylian girl.. no _Link_ stepped back, falling into the hole.

"NO!!" he wasn't sure who had screamed, him or the voice, but the barrier fell and Dorian moved before he could stop himself, teleporting down the hole alongside her. Once he had been so terrified of this hole, but right now he didn't even care. They were both falling so fast, their bodies being pulled by the gravity, but Dorian desperately reached out for her. There was a serene smile on her face as she fell in front of him and he grit his teeth, feeling tears leaking from his grey eyes (he wasn't even aware he was still able to _cry_ ) and pushing himself forwads still as his arms wrapped around her tiny Hylian body, summoning his teleport talismans around himself.

"Fine, I accept it! You can have the Thunder Helm! You can be the Hero that saves Hyrule! Just don't _DIE_!!"

\---

Link gasped as she awoke, looking down at her own hands. She was in full control of her own body again. She felt the Sheikah slate hum on her belt and glared down at it.. before her eyes widened, realising that Dorian's body was curled over her own small one. He had teleported them back to the open area. Dorian's eyes were shut, the hood of his blademaster uniform having fallen back from his head, and Link could see his dyed black hair. He was completely out cold, having exhausted his rune magic completely, and Link carefully moved away from him. Next to them, she could see the Thunder Helm (he had probably teleported it to them before he had passed out), but she didn't care. She could see blood escaping from his back, Dorian's wounds from Gerudo Town having reopened during the fight and Link grabbed the Sheikah slate, writing Ancient Sheikah text into the screen as her hands glowed with Mipha's healing power, pressing one hand into Dorian's back and the other onto the malice burn on his face.

( _"Link stop."_ | The voice spoke out to her. It sounded.. guilty. Good. | _"You can't help him. He's completely exhausted his magic over these last few months and years. He likely will never be able to use rune magic to this capacity again, if he even survives."_ )

Link grit her teeth, as the wounds on Dorian's back were healed and she reached for the Sheikah slate. With her other hand still on Dorian's face, she pressed the slate to Dorian's chest, channeling the power of the furnaces through her.

( _"What are you.."_ )

Link gasped aloud as a piece of Chi's gifted magic from Link's own spirit splintered, escaping her own chest and the small orb adorned with the inverted eye moved to Dorian's own chest, entering his chest.

"Take it." Link murmured as she pulled away her hand, the malice burn now gone from Dorian's face, "It's your ancestor's power. It should have been yours in the first place." she looked upon Dorian's form, who was still passed out but breathing as she reached for the Thunder Helm. She let out a sigh, glancing back at Dorian, "I'll come back for you, I promise. I won't let you stay here, and I won't let you sacrifice yourself to destroy this clan. I'll save you and the Clan too."

Link moved to stand and all of a sudden there was a sound of talismans around her. That man, the leader of the Yiga Clan, Kohga himself was in front of her. His mask was removed and Link's eyes widened. There were horrific scars all over the elderly man's face. He was her enemy, and he had traumatised Dorian but.. Link felt bad for him too.

Kohga's grey eyes moved from Dorian, lying unconscious on the floor, to Link standing above him, holding the Thunder Helm, with the Sheikah slate on her belt.

"You." he growled, and the anger in his voice.. and something deeper still, panic, fear, desperation.. " _YOU_!!" Kohga screamed out as he raised his hand and the largest metal spiky ball, much bigger then any of the ones Dorian had used appeared, surrounded by talismans.

"Get me out of here." Link spoke out and she felt both of their presences around her, Chi and her twin. The blue energy of the voice surrounding her, emboldened by Chi's own Yiga style magic as she was teleported away back to Gerudo Town.

Chi and her twin.. they were working _together_ now to help her through the final stages of her journey. Link could almost barely believe it as she reappeared over the town, falling down to the center market area, the Thunder Helm falling from her hands as she looked up into the sky tiredly, passing out in the little center area right there in front of the stairs that led to the throne room as the Gerudo hurriedly rushed around her..

\---

Dorian gasped out as he awoke, once more again in the infirmary. "Dot!"

The Hylian medic rushed over to him, "Master Dorian.. thank the Calamity you're awake!" the elderly Hylian medic sobbed as he adjusted his glasses, "We thought.. we all thought.."

Dorian was so exhausted, but he pushed himself up to a sitting position, looking around the infirmary. Bant was there, as were Arbiter and Kitt. A whole group of blademasters too. He even spotted a bunch of trainees at the open door looking at him.

"Where's Master Kohga?" Dorian asked. His back wasn't hurting anymore. And the malice burn on his face.. Dorian pressed his hand to the left side of his unmasked face and couldn't feel the stinging sensation.. it was gone? And something felt.. off.. different about him.

"The Master said he had things to do, but he'll be back soon."

"I can't believe you survived fighting the Hero.." Bant was saying quietly. There was a look in his eyes.. mindless reverance. Dorian stared at his ex partner, a painful feeling blooming in his chest. "That's why you deserve to be our future Master.. Master Dorian." Bant continued.

There was a murmur around the room. They were all looking at him just like Bant did. Dorian swallowed, is this what Link felt all the time, being the Chosen Hero? He thought he was getting used to it but now.. miserably, his hands went down to his sides. What was the point, he had done all this work, and become the future leader of the Yiga Clan for nothing. The Hero would save Hyrule, and he would be stuck here as the leader of the Yiga Clan. He.. supposed he could always go back to his original plan though..

"What happened to your malice mark?" a trainee suddenly spoke out at the door, and all the blademasters glared at her. Tian shuddered under their glares, knowing she was going to be punished horribly.. but Dorian quickly took care of the situation.

"It was probably something that wretched Hero did." his voice felt thick in his mouth, "No matter trainee, thank you for informing me, I will repurify myself as soon as possible."

The blademasters looked away from the trainee and Biaat sighed out, clasping Tian's hand as she trembled.

"Oh here you go Master Dorian, before I forget." Bant was suddenly lifting something and Dorian's eyes widened. No, that couldn't be.. "I know you don't need your windcleaver anymore, since you're not technically a blademaster anymore, but we found this by your body earlier and thought you would want to keep it."

Dorian grabbed the windcleaver from Bant's hand, his own hands trembling. ( _Link.. you.._ ) It was all right here, his original dream to become blademaster and.. the blue cloth tied around it's hilt. ( _Kiyah.._ )

"Get out, all of you." he said quietly and they all stared at him in surprise. Dorian raised his voice, "OUT! _NOW_!" there was a flood of talismans as all the footsoldiers and blademasters immediately teleported away from the infirmary, and the trainees at the door fled, the infirmary door shut as he was left alone in the room. He couldn't control himself anymore.

( _"This is what I was born to do!"_ )

Link's smile as she fell into that hole that terrified him his entire life. She hadn't just come here for the Thunder Helm. She had come to return his windcleaver to him. Even then, in her enemies hideout.. Link had still been thinking of him.

Dorian's hardened heart seemed to melt away as he pressed his healed face against the hilt of his weapon and _wept miserably_.


	23. Divine Beast Vah Naboris Part I

Sometime before, when Link was still in the Yiga Clan Hideout, a pair of Gerudo soldiers, Liana and Leena were watching over the Divine Beast from their post close to the sandstorm between the town and the place in the very west of the desert where Vah Naboris had lay unmoving for a century.

The sandstorm was intense, and the two soldiers kept their distance as they saw the bolts of lightning strike the desert sands. Liana frowned, "What do you think it means in context, that singing?" Leena glanced at her, "The lyrics keep changing, but there's one thing that remains constant."

"'Little bird.'" The two soldiers looked at each other. "She sounds so _sad_.. Lady Urbosa must be suffering so much in there."

Leena moved to sit on the sand, holding the handle of her spear to her forehead. "I hope the Hero doesn't take too much longer. I just wish there was something we could do now that we know Lady Urbosa is trapped in there."

The two soldiers continued to watch for a while, until Kotta and Barta came to take over watch duty for them. The overzealous Gerudo soldier Barta waved at them as the two glanced at her, "Barta." Leena muttered, "I'm surprised you're still here. You were determined to go to Kurasa Valley yourself weren't you?"

Barta crossed her arms, "Captain Teake outright forbade me from going. She said we need to be constantly watching over the Divine Beast after all. Speaking of which.." Barta suddenly looked up, confusion on her face, "Uh.. is Naboris supposed to be _moving_ like that?"

The other three Gerudo soldiers were immediately on alert as they raised their weapons. They hadn't even noticed it, but Naboris was indeed moving, albeit very slowly, the sandstorms billowing, as it headed towards the east of the desert. Leena gripped her spear tightly, looking back towards her at the town. The head of Naboris wasn't activated, neither blue lights or red.. but its head seemed to be focused, neither on the town or the nearby bazaar, but the entire east area of the desert.. specifically East Gerudo Ruins and the Seven Heroine statues.

"We need to get back to Gerudo Town immediately and inform Captains Buliara and Teake."

\---

( _Link's eyes opened and she looked around. She was in that light void again. It felt so soft and warm compared to the darkness of the other void. Link knew she wouldn't be have malice on her in this void, but still looked to her hands, seeing the dark skin once more that she recognised as her own, sighing a little in relief._

_"Hello Link." a voice spoke out to her and she jolted, turning around._

_In front of her, there was a Sheikah man, strange blue flames flickering over his form. Link knew who this was. She had been seeing his memories the entire time she had been in the Hideout after all. "Jaq." Or Kohga, in another life, but she wouldn't have called him that. The man who evantually became Robbie's father._

_Jaq smiled at her, "That's right. I prefer that name over the one my father gave me." Link looked at the Sheikah spirit. He looked maybe a few years older then that final memory. Robbie must have been even younger then she was when he lost his father._

_Jaq smiled at her apologetically, "You probably have questions. To be completely honest though, I'm not sure how I can answer them. I don't really know how my spirit is here either. when I passed on to the Spirit Realm so long ago."_

_Link thought of the Sheikah slate and what Chi had told her about it that night on Eventide. "You're the direct descendant of the first person who created the Yiga Clan. So is your son, Robbie." Jaq nodded and Link continued, "That specific Sheikah slate that I use, it was created by your ancestor ten thousand years ago. Robbie's the only one other then me who is able to use it, he was able to activate it back when I was in Akkala just over four months ago."_

_Jaq nodded, "That makes sense. The passage of time has been irrelevant to me for so long, but I think it was around that time when I first became aware of your presence. I wasn't aware of anything else for so long.. until I sensed you enter the Yiga Clan Hideout." He chuckled darkly, "Figures, even in death, I would still be able to sense that miserable place."_

_Link frowned. Had Jaq's spirit been brought back through the slate through Robbie touching it? Or.. she touched her hand to her chest. Maybe it had been Chi's magic? Or **both**. Link swallowed, "Did you.. pass on with regrets?"_

_Jaq laughed bitterly. "Regrets? Oh I could name a few. I was the heir to the entire Yiga Clan. I was treated differently from the rest of my Clan, because of my blood, while the rest of the trai-- **children** around me suffered every day."_

_Link frowned, "I think your sister would have preferred it the other way."_

_Jaq's hands tightened at his side as he shook with anger, unpleasent feelings washing over his face in instant. "Iga." he sighed, "Or Kohga as she was known as later on in life. We both had the same childhood with a father who deeply loved us, despite the Clan we were born into, but her insecurities over being the second born festered for years, creating the bitter hateful person she became. After I left the Clan, Iga took my old name and identity out of pure spite for me, and even passed that name onto the child she so despised."_

_The elderly man with the lightning shaped scars.. Link's hands tightened on her Sheikah stealth guard. "She was the one who murdered you, wasn't she."_

_Jaq nodded as his hands relaxed, "I won't show you that memory. I don't think you would want to see it. It's bad enough I had to show what came before."_

_"You want me to tell Robbie, about your past and what happened to you."_

_A look of guilt crossed his face, but he nodded. "I apologise. It must have hurt you so much, seeing everything you saw in the Yiga Clan Hideout, and my memories didn't help. But, I've been trying to communicate with you for a while, and all the magic in the hideout seemed to make my own spirit so much stronger. I was able to reach out to you, through the slate, for the first time **ever**."_

_Link nodded, "You actually helped. I had been trying to hold my emotions in the entire time, but seeing that last memory.." she clasped her hands together, "realising who you became and what happened to you.. it made me break down." Link laughed a little sadly, "Dorian spotted me and well.. all **that** happened, which is how I was able to get the Thunder Helm back."_

_Jaq suddenly laughed, "'Dorian'? Now that's a banana inspired name on an entirely different level!"_

_Link blinked at him, "Banana name..?" she frowned, "I thought he was named after the hearty durian?"_

_"Link, you're from Faron are you not? What are two of the main three fruits that grow in your region?"_

_Oh. Link realised and suddenly let out a little giggle, covering her mouth, "Mighty bananas and hearty durian grow **together**." Oh.. Dorian would **hate** that. She actually felt a little bad for laughing though. Even now in this void, she was still worried about Dorian's mental state. Oh, how she wished she could have brought him back with her back to Gerudo Town. Still, she had been able to gve him his windcleaver back at least._

_Jaq smiled as the blue flames around him became stronger. He glanced down at himself, "Ah.. seems my time is up." he looked at Link sadly, "May I ask Link, before I return to the Spirit Realm.. how **is** my son?"_

_Link swallowed painfully, "He works in Akkala, making weapons made of Sheikah energy, to stop the Calamity." she touched her hand to her chest, "Before the Calamity, he made special arrows. Because of them and the Champions and the Hyrulean soliders, so many lives were spared in Hyrule Castle Town. My grandmother was one of them. One of the reasons I'm alive today is because of your son."_

_Jaq smiled, shutting his eyes, "He's followed in my footsteps. The Royal Family called me a 'fortune teller' to protect my identity, but I was trying to use my knowledge of ancient Sheikah runes and energy to create weapons myself. I didn't have enough time though.."_

_Link stepped forwards, "I think he has.. issues with the Yiga Clan, because of your death." she frowned, tears pricking her eyes, "To be honest, I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to tell him. I hope it doesn't destroy him, learning you were part of them."_

_Jaq touched a hand to Link's shoulder, "Robbie is stronger then that, I promise you Link."_

_Link continued as the blue flames got stronger around Jaq's form and he started to disappear a little, "He's married! To a Hylian named Jerrin! A-and he has a son called Granté!"_

_Jaq had a contemplative look on his face, "Half Sheikah half Hylian hm.. I'm glad. It's been ten thousand years, the Sheikah shouldn't be such a closed off tribe, like we Yiga Clan were. Allowing other tribes to join with us, it's what should have happened a long time ago."_

_Link jolted, "But the Yiga Clan allows non Sheikah to join now too?"_

_Jaq blanched, "They.. do?" he frowned, "That's new. Iga would have never allowed such a thing when she was Master."_

_"I felt so bad for them. That Hylian, Gerudo and Rito." Link's hand tightened over her chest stealth guard, "They even believe the Clan's religious brainwashing cult, to serve the Great Calamity like the rest of the Clan's members."_

_"Wait. Religious?" Jaq was stepping towards her now, his eyes wide, "What's happened to the Clan in the last hundred years? We're a clan of **assassins** , not devout worshippers. We sided with the Calamity only because it was against the Royal Family, and because of our hatred for them. Its been like that for **centuries**."_

_"It wasn't something your sister did?"_

_"No!"_

_Link frowned. Then it must have been that man with the lightning scars, the current Kohga, that started this whole religious cult thing. She remembered Dorian mentioning something about how he was the Calamity's descendent, back when she being possessed by the voice. And then there was that Sheikah boy.. the one that keeps showing up when she connected to each of the furnaces. Link frowned even more. She had been suspecting it for sometime now, that there was more to that Sheikah boy. And his **eyes**.._

_The blue flames were now flickering through Jaq's entire body. "I have to go Link. They're waiting for me, back in the Spirit Realm."_

_"Yeah." Link nodded at him, pushing away the thoughts that were bubbling inside her. Urbosa was her priority. Still, Chi's request burned hotly thorough her and the splintered part of her magic still embedded deep in her own spirit.. "Thanks Jaq, for everything. What you did was so brave, leaving the Clan, your own family, just to warn the same people you once despised." Link smiled, "Because of your so called 'prophecy', you saved so many lives."_

_Jaq smiled sadly, "Then my death was worth something in the end. I just hope that you're able to finish that wretched Calamity off once and for all."_

_"I'm sure we will." Link nodded, even then thinking of that boy and Chi's promise, "The Champions.. the pilots of the Divine Beasts you told the Hyrule Royal Family about. They're still alive. Together, after I save the Gerudo Pilot, we will form a plan for how to stop the Calamity once and for all."_

_Jaq just smiled at her as he disappeared into blue flames.._ )

Link gasped as she awoke, her eyes flying open. Riju was by her side immediately with a pitcher of water and Link sat up in Riju's bed, grabbing at it, and drinking heavily. Too much energy. She had used too much. Between holding up the Yiga disguise magic for almost a whole day, and then using the energy channeled through the furnaces in the fight against Dorian.. Link frowned a little, glancing at the Sheikah slate which was next to her on the bed.

That's right. Link had figured it out back in Rito Village when she had unlocked her power. Through the Sheikah slate that had been used to create them, Link was spiriturally bonded to the Divine Beasts. She had later been given context for those abilities through Kass' words at Gerudo Canyon Stable, learning that it was the exact same way the Champions were bonded to the Ancient Sheikah spirits that were the original pilots. Link glanced down at her hand. She had had no idea though that the bond had gone even deeper then that too. She was connected to the Champions too. That's how she was able to use their powers against Dorian. Mipha's Grace, Daruk's Protection, Revali's Gale.. she frowned. She had even used the lightning powers Urbosa had that Riju had told her about, Urbosa's Fury. Despite the fact that Urbosa was still under the Calamity's control. She could almost still feel the sickly red malice in her throat still.

Taking a heavy gasp, Link almost choked on the water she was drinking as Riju pat her back sympathetically. Link glanced around. She was sitting in Riju's bed, and the Gerudo Chief had seemingly been lying there next to her, waiting for her to wake up.

"How long was I out for?" Link croaked as she placed the pitcher down.

"Only a few hours."

Link sighed, "Thank the Calamity.. I was afraid I was out of it for a few days again like back with Ruta."

Riju frowned at her words as she mouthed 'thank the Calamity?' and Link startled, realising what she had just said, clasping her hands over her mouth, her green eyes wide as she looked at Riju. "A-ah, sorry.. it was.." she looked miserable as she crossed her arms together over her knees, "It was really bad back there in the hideout.. I guess the stuff they all said kinda got to me a little."

Riju looked sympathetic again as she gently clasped Link's hand, "You were gone all night. We were so worried about you Link."

Link could feel the tears leaking from her eyes, as her green eyes locked together with Riju's own green eyes. "Riju, it was _awful_. I thought I was going _crazy_ for a little while." Riju's arms just wrapped around Link's shoulder as the Hylian sobbed, her shoulders shaking. "They're all back there Riju, those _children_ , stuck in that cult. What am I supposed to, how I supposed to help them?"

"Link." a voice said sharply and Link looked up, spotting Buliara standing by the entrance leading into Riju's room, "The Yiga Clan are too far gone. You can't--"

"I know." Link said, "I _know_. Everyone keeps telling me that, that I can't help them." she looked up, "But I have to do something! Back in Kakariko, I made friends with two Sheikah children and their mother.." Link's small hand wrapped around the Sheikah eye symbol on her chest guard, "Koko and Cottla's father.. Dorian.. he was born in that clan, even now he's stuck in that mentality and I can't break through to him."

"So that's why you wanted to go there.." Buliara sighed, "I assume this 'Dorian' is the one who attacked us for the Thunder Helm then."

Link looked up at her miserably, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."

Buliara sighed as she rubbed the back of her head, "I get it. We lost one of our own people to that clan after all."

"Arbiter.." Link frowned, thinking of the Rito's words.

"So that's what he calls himself now.." Buliara came to sit on the sofa as she glanced back at the two girls, "We had no idea back then. His mother more or less forced him to become a soldier, but he hated every second of it. He was always arguing with Teake about something or other." Buliara looked extremely guilty as she clasped her hands together, "We had no idea what was going on his home life, we thought he was just.. well.. being a brat I guess. But it all bubbled to a point, where he told us if we all hated voe so much, he was going to leave the town too, since he was a voe as well." Buliara sighed, looking at the ceiling. "We had no idea how ostracized he felt, with the whole voe and vai rule we enforce.."

Link hesitated, "..Why _do_ you enforce that rule anyway?"

Riju and Buliara glanced at each other, worry in their eyes, before Buliara glanced back at Link, "It used to be more relaxed.. our ancestors would allow voe to come into the town under very specific circumstances. But then.."

( _"LINK."_ | She could hear the absolute panic in the voice from the slate, and she glared at it. | _"No, you be quiet. If I'm not getting answers from you, I'll get them elsewhere."_ )

Buliara frowned, looking away, "We don't know exactly what happened, its been so long now, thousands and thousands of years, that the exact reason has been lost to time but.." she frowned, "We believe there was a voe who came to our town once, back when we still lived in Kurasa Valley, where the Yiga Clan now call home. For some reason, our ancestors allowed him to enter. And something.. unspeakable happened because of that."

"..The first Calamity?" Link asked.

"That's what we assumed." Riju muttered, mirroring Link as she wrapped her arms around her knees. "Our ancestors completely abandoned Kurasa Valley. And the next thing we knew, a group of Sheikah had moved into our old homeland. After that, the voe and vai rule became a definite thing. No exceptions, no matter what."

( _"Were you that voe? What did you even DO?!"_ | The voice was silent for a few moments. | _"..Save the Gerudo Champion first. I will give you the answers you seek then."_ )

A load roar suddenly pierced the town and Buliara and Riju got up, running out of the room alarmed. Link grabbed the Sheikah slate, following them out to the balcony. Buliara's hands tightened, "No.. it's so close to Kara Kara Bazaar now." she looked at Riju, panicked, "Sorry Riju, but there's no more time I know you wanted Link to rest but.."

Riju glanced back at Link who rushed out to the balcony, placing her hands on the stone as she looked out and the Hylian's eyes widened. There was Naboris, right there in front of the town, heading east to the desert.

"W-when did Naboris start moving?!" she turned to the two Gerudo.

"About an hour or so before you were teleported back to Gerudo Town.."

That was around the time she was fighting Dorian. Link looked to the Sheikah slate, was it because she had spiritually connected with Urbosa back then to use her lightning powers? She was reminded of back when her and Kass were were heading to East Reservoir Lake and it was like Ruta itself was looking at her.. or she supposed, it was rather the malice infused form of _Mipha_ that had been looking at her. That's how this had all started hadn't it?

Link's hands tightened around the slate. Because Ruta and Mipha had sensed their spiritual connection, the Divine Beasts had activated again. The rain expelled from Ruta had poured all over Zora's Domain, threating Hyrule at large, Rudania's lava bombs had threatened Goron City, and Medoh had been trying to stop it's own corrupted Champion from attacking Rito Village. Now Gerudo Town and Kara Kara Bazaar were in danger.

All of this was all her fault. The realisation made Link fell to her knees as she began to sob and the two Gerudo looked at her startled. "It really was me all along. I'm the reason the Divine Beasts activated. How can I be called a Hero?" Link cried out, the tears rolling down her face, "So many people have suffered because of my actions."

Riju moved to her side, wrapping her arms around Link's shoulders, "Link.. you've helped so many people! You've saved the Champions, you helped me take out a molduga for one of my people, I bet you've helped so many people on your adventure!" the Gerudo chief gently pressed her cheek to Link's, "I don't know about being anything about a Legendary Hero.. but right now, for everyone in Hyrule.. for the Hyruleans.. you're _their_ Hero."

The voice wasn't talking to her, but she could still feel it's presence right there by her side. Chi's too. They were enveloping her and Link had a funny feeling they were arguing with each other.

Then.. the Sheikah slate suddenly began to glow, levitating between them. Buliara gasped and stepped back and Riju and Link watched with wide eyes. Four items were expelled from the slate as they too began to glow, circling around the slate.. and Link recognised them.

Naydra's scale from the Spring of Widom. Dinraal's scale from the Spring of Power. Farosh's scale from the Spring of Courage. And the Star Fragment that had been given to her by the Hylian Aliza back at Outskirt Stable.

There was something else glowing too, back in Riju's bedroom and the Gerudo Chief rushed back into her room to grab it. Link startled, as the Gerudo came back, carrying an old busted brown and white coloured shield that had scuff marks on it. It had strange markings on it, some sort of bird and the symbol she now recognised as part of the Royal Family's symbol.. the three golden triangles. "The Hero's Shield?" Buliara asked as the five items seemed to glow even brighter and Riju placed the brown and white shield down on the balcony.

"Hero's.. Shield?" Link hiccuped a little as she tried to control her sobs.

Riju nodded, "We found it a few generations ago right here in the sands here in Gerudo Desert. We believed it was a shield belonging to a Legendary Hero a long time ago. Suddenly, the four items, the three scales and the Star Fragment moved from their position circling the slate, as they were absorbed by the shield which started to levitate, while the slate dropped back to Link's hands.

The shield began to glow even brighter and Riju and Buliara shuddered as they covered their eyes. Link however, kept her eyes on it.. as the shield started to take a new design. The three golden triangles stayed where they were, but the rest of the design disappeared, the bird and intricate patterns covering the shield. And instead a new design took hold.

Dinraal; just above the top triangle, Naydra; to the left of the the bottom left triangle and Farosh opposite it on the right. The brown colour of the shield too, changed to a beautiful golden colour that glowed lightly just like the Star Fragment did, but in a different shade then the three triangles. Link hesitantly reached out, as the new shield stopped intensely glowing and fell into her arms. The shield was breathtakingly beautiful. And just when she needed a shield too since Dorian had destroyed all the ones she had had left.

Riju and Buliara looked at the shield and Link looked at them, a stunned look in her green eyes. She didn't really know what to say. "Well." Buliara coughed, "I think that's plenty evidence that someone somewhere recognises you as a Hero."

Link wiped the tears from her eyes as she stood up. Tapping the Sheikah slate, she replaced her stealth armour with her soldier's gear, she equipped the new shield (It needed a name. Link kinda liked the idea of it being called the Dragon's Shield..) as well as the Savage Lynel Bow and the Sword that Seals the Darkness.

"Link, are you sure you're up for this?" Riju asked worriedly, reaching out and touching Link's hand, "You were out of it for a while there."

"I will be." Link tapped the slate again, pulling out a bubbling green enduring elixir, pulling the stopper, and drinking the entire elixir in one go. She slapped her cheeks as the burst of energy hit her at once, "Come on Riju, I've got a Divine Beast to get inside of and a Champion to save."

"Lady Riju." Buliara spoke a little sternly, "Rememeber what I said alright? Use Patricia and the Thunder Helm so Link can stop Naboris' feet with bomb arrows, and then as soon as Naboris is down, you come right back to Gerudo Town okay?"

Riju nodded. They had already planned this all before Link had left to retrieve the Thunder Helm. They had everything planned, and nothing was going to go wrong.. right?

\---

Dorian felt numb as he walked through the hideout, heading to Kohga's personal chambers. If he had thought things were chaotic before, now things were in utter pandemonium. Now, they weren't even doing the trainees lessons, having them stay in their barracks and only being allowed to come out for food. Even all the blademasters had been thrown out, only a handful of footsoldiers like guards and others who worked to mantain the hideout still here in Kurasa Valley. Dorian really had no idea what was going on Kohga's head. He reached the elderly master's chambers, giving the door a quick knock. A moment later, Kohga slammed open the door and Dorian was surprised to see that for once Kohga actually had his mask on (he had been getting more and more lax with that recently during their training sessions).

"Oh, it's just you Dorian, come on in."

Dorian carefully stepped over the mess of parchments and books that covered Kohga's floor (honestly, how did he _live_ in this mess) as he moved to the little table in the center of the room. Kohga had one of those old books open right now and returned to it, frantically flipping through the pages, "Come on.. come on there has to be _something_ here that can help us." he slammed the book shut and grabbed another one, "Maybe something about the ancient Zonai tribe?"

Dorian frowned under his mask. Zonai ruins. That had been where he had fought Link that second time. The Spring of Courage. He still remembered the odd sensation that had taken over him, how he had hurled his windcleaver at the Goddess Statue without even thinking about it.

"Zonai?" he asked and Kohga continued to flip through the pages, not looking back up at him.

"Come on Dorian, I've told you about the Zonai before haven't I?"

"No.. I don't think you have. But I already know about them, they were an Ancient tribe. Even older then ten thousand years ago, if I remember."

Kohga chuckled darkly, "They were our allies against that rotten Hyrulean Royal Family."

"Is that so?" that.. didn't feel right. Dorian didn't know how he knew that, but he just _did_.

Even with his mask on, Dorian could tell just how miserable and panicked the old master was as he frantically searched through the books he had been left by his ancestors. Kohga continued, "Would you believe me Dorian, if I said we Yiga Clan were actually the lucky ones?" he sighed, "The Zonai weren't so lucky. They had their entire culture and history wiped away by that wretched Royal Family. Now nothing exists of the Zonai, not even their people. All that remains of them are a few ruins and their ghosts."

Kohga frantically slammed the book down on the table, "Aaargh, this isn't working! We need something to stop the Hero right now before they free that wretched Gerudo Chief and go on to to destroy our Great Ancestor!" he reached under his mask and started scratching his scars frantically. Dorian just watched him numbly. Kohga had never been all there in the first place, but now it was like the elderly man was completely falling apart. ( _That makes two of us then._ ) "How did that wretched Hero even get in here?!"

"We could.." Dorian said quietly, "try to steal the Thunder Helm again?"

"No no, there's not enough time! And even if there was, we're not doing that! You almost _died_ last time, and I'm not putting you in danger again. It's a _miracle_ from the Great Calamity itself that you even survived fighting the Hero."

Hn. Dorian looked down at the table and the book on it. Once he had this entire plan figured out, but now he just felt lost. Dorian had no idea what he was still doing here. He.. just wanted to go home. Back to Kakariko, to Kiyah and his girls. But he knew that was impossible. Despite what the Rito bard had said back at the Rito Stables, the Sheikah would never accept him back after everything he had done. And.. there was still the fact that if he betrayed the clan, _especially_ now, they'd be in danger. He couldn't risk it.

He watched Kohga frantically flip through the books, as a defeated feeling entered his entire body. He really had destroyed himself for nothing, hadn't he? All the psychological damage he'd done to his very soul, hardening his heart, it had completely fallen apart the moment he had thought of Link asking him why he wanted to become the leader of this Clan that hurt their own people. He had told himself for years that it was fine, because the Yiga Clan were _monsters_ after all. If he thought about it like that, he could even hurt the trainees. But the look in Link's eyes, the tears she had shed.. how she had almost killed herself just to save his own miserable life, and her desperate desire to save a Clan that wanted nothing more then her own death. It had been the final straw.

Dorian had never _wanted_ to be a Hero. He had just wanted to stop _her_ from being one. Especially once he had learned about her family that day in Lurelin. He had genuinely believed he was doing it for her own good. He told himself constantly that he was being impartial, but he'd just been lying to himself hadn't he? Sighing internally, he supposed it had been inevitable that things had ended up this way. He had lost this battle of wills before he had even officially started, the moment he had compared the Hylian girl to his own daughter, that first night back in Kakariko.

He watched Kohga continue to flip through his books as he searched for something _anything_ that could help them and Dorian truly felt despair. He really was stuck here now, wasn't he?

\---

As Link and Riju surfed over the desert sands for the second time in the last couple days, towards the towering Divine Beast in the distance, Link atop the new Dragon's Shield with a rented sand seal, and Riju with her beloved Patricia, a striking blue sand seal with a red bow in her hair, Link raised her Savage Lynel Bow with three bomb arrows, ready to fire as soon as possible. Next to her, Riju had the Thunder Helm equipped and the strange protective barrier that surrounded them as they headed into right into the sandstorms.

There was something.. off though. There was supposed to be lightning strikes (the Gerudo soldiers had said as much), but Naboris hadn't even tried to attack them once. And Link.. the Hylian could tell there was just something _wrong_.

"Riju, wait." she called out to the Gerudo girl, who glanced back at her.

"You feel it too, right?" Riju stopped Patricia and Link also stopped her own sand seal. "There's no _lightning_."

"Do you think we should go back to Gerudo Town?" Link asked, even as she chewed her lip and looked towards Naboris in the distance. It had been heading east before, but now as they had approached it, the Divine Beast seemed still.

Riju glanced at the Hylian, "You're the expert when it comes to this Divine Beast stuff Link, what do you think?"

(Expert.. really, Link had just been kinda winging it until the events in Faron and especially Medoh) Link took the Sheikah slate on her side, her blue eyes appearing in an instant as she looked at the Divine Beast. Holding the slate tightly in her hand, she lifted it as all her senses became alive. Focusing her power through the furnaces, she frowned. How strange. She could feel the furnaces power but something felt.. off regarding the other Divine Beasts too.

\---

In East Reservoir Lake, Mipha had her Lightscale Trident clasped in her hands behind her back, her eyes shut as she she stood on the docks leading out where Ruta was. It was a nice calm day in Zora's Domain, not even a single cloud in the sky. Yet her own heart felt heavy.

Opening her yellow eyes, Mipha gazed back at Ruta. The Divine Beast's glowing blue eye rotated gently as she felt the presence of the Ancient Sheikah spirit.. the 'artificial intelligence' as Robbie had called it, entwined with her own very soul. Of course, the pilots had known a hundred years ago that the Divine Beasts _were_ sentinent in some way or form. All the Champions had felt it when they had bonded to the Beasts, in order to pilot them against the growing Calamity. But the things they had learned since.. Mipha sighed.

( _"Mistress, is something troubling you?"_ | Mipha glanced up at Ruta once more. | _"I've told you before, you can call me by my name."_ | _"There is no space in Ruta's memory banks for your name. You are Ruta's current Pilot. After you, there will be another Pilot. That is how it has always been, and how it shall always be."_ | Mipha's hand tensed on her trident. | _"Did you.. have a life before you permanently joined with Ruta? A family? You even gave up on your afterlife, to become Hyrule's protector."_ | The original pilot's spirit was silent for a few moments. | _"It matters not. Our bretheren, the monks in the shrines did the same as we did, maybe in a different way, but still. They dedicated themselves to the Goddess to fight against the Calamity, just like we did. They have been waiting all this time, for a new Hero to rise, the same as us, waiting for our new Pilots."_ | Tears pricked at Mipha's yellow eyes. | _"Ah. Now I understand why you are so distraught. You are thinking of him, the original Hero of a century ago."_ )

"..Mipha?"

The Zora Princess' jolted out of the connection with the Sheikah spirit as a voice spoke out to her and she turned around sharply. She gasped as one of her hands moved up to her mouth. In front of her was her beloved baby brother, standing right at the front of the docks, a guilty look on his face.

"Sidon." Mipha's hand tightened around her Lightscale Trident. She noticed then that Sidon was carrying his own trident from that day, the Ceremonial Trident, hoistered on his back in it's little scabbard.

"I.." Sidon shut his eyes, as he took a deep breath and stepped forward to his older yet shorter sister, "I wanted to come before now. I should have never let this go on so long."

"Sidon, I already _told_ you, you can take as much time as you want."

"No!" Sidon cried out, his hands balling into fists in front of him, "No.. I already lost so much time with you already. Almost one hundred years.." he looked up and there were tears in his own yellow eyes, "I thought you were _dead_ Mipha."

"I know Sidon."

"I thought you were dead. And as painful as it was, I.. I just _accepted_ it. I accepted you were gone and.. I didn't even try to find out what had happened to you!"

Mipha rushed forwards to him, "Sidon..! None of this was your fault!"

"I'm so sorry sister!" Sidon covered his eyes with his hands as he collapsed to his knees, "I should have tried to break into Ruta long before Link arrived here! I could have saved you, then you wouldn't have had to suffer for so long!"

Mipha's tiny arms wrapped around her baby brother's shoulders, "Sidon.. how long have you been thinking like this?"

"Ever.. ever since I first saw you back in Ruta. It was all I could _think_ about, when we were trapped in that little room while Link was trying to connect to your spirit."

Mipha felt miserable. Sidon.. he had blaming himself all this time. No wonder he had wanted to stay away from her. It wasn't because she had hurt him, it was because he had been feeling guilty all this time about being unable to help _her_. Mipha gently pressed her forehead to her baby brother's.

"Sidon.. in my absence you've been protecting our people all this time haven't you? If you had gotten into Ruta alone.." she shuddered as her hands tightened around his shoulders, "..I don't even want to _think_ about what would have happened. Our people.. would have lost _both_ their Princess and Prince." she frowned as she thought of the Sheikah and how miserable they had been before it had been revealed to them that she and the other Champions had survived, "..Our people would have lost what little hope they had left."

Mipha reached out, gently touching Sidon's hands as she pulled them away from his face, (noting how the tiny malice burns on his wrists were mostly healed now), the two Zora siblings locking their yellow eyes together, "I'm here _now_. You and I, we have so much time to make up for the time we lost." Daruk, Revali and Urbosa.. they didn't even have that, did they? Mipha couldn't help but feel guilty, even as she was trying to comfort Sidon. She really was the lucky one out of the four of them.

Mipha smiled widely, "I'm so proud of you Sidon. You're going to be an amazing King when you take over from father."

Sidon jolted, his eyes wide as he looked at his sister, "But you.. you're the oldest. It should be _you_.."

Mipha shook her head, "Father's been training you for this, because of my supposed death, hasn't he? All that training shouldn't go to waste." she glanced back over her shoulder at Ruta, "Besides, I have a job to do here." Mipha looked back at Sidon once more, "You be King, and I'll be the protecter of Zora's Domain." she pumped her fist to her chest, "I _believe_ in you Sidon."

Sidon opened his mouth to say something, but all of a sudden Ruta let out a cry, it's trunk raising high as the Zora siblings looked at it, both of their yellow eyes wide

( _"..?!"_ | _"What's wrong?"_ | _"Something's.. trying to break.. AAAUUGGGHHH!!"_ )

Mipha winced as the spirit's scream pierced her very soul before going deathly silent. The giant Divine Beast was seemingly shuddering and Mipha watched horrified as the glow flickered between it's usual blue to deactivated to blue once more.. before flickering slightly with a sickly red glow, before turning back to deactivated once more.

"No no.. Ruta!!" Mipha rushed forwards, dropping her Lightscale Trident to the docks and raising both of her hands, trying to control the Divine Beast's energy as it thrashed in the water of East Reservoir Lake.

"Mipha, what's going on?!" Sidon cried out to her.

Mipha tensed, her eyes unleaving from the Divine Beast she had been partnered with, "It's.. the Calamity! It's trying to take over Ruta itself! I won't allow it too!" She pressed her feet against the docks, she could almost feel the strength of Calamity itself, back there in the castle. It was strange.. she could almost feel someone's presence fighting alongside her against the Calamity.. that presence it almost felt like..

Mipha gasped as Ruta staggered forwards to her, opening its entrance, it's eye flickering constantly now between blue and red, and she looked back to Sidon, a desperate look in her yellow eyes, "I need to make a direct connection to the furnace to force the Calamity out. Sidon, you get back to the Domain."

"NO!"

"Sidon _please_.."

"I will not abandon you again, sister." the Zora Prince grabbed Mipha's trident, placing it with his own on his back. "If you're going in, I am too."

Mipha looked at him and she could see the determination on his face as she smiled, even as she struggled with control of the beast, "..When did I get such a brave little brother?" she nodded as she reached out one of her hands to him and Sidon clasped his sister's hand in his own as Mipha spoke out, "Alright, Sidon, together." and they leapt from the dock into the open entrance of Ruta. Once they were inside, the entrance shut and the Divine Beast started to lower down into the reservoir as it moved through the waters to the south west of Hyrule..

\---

Not too far from Goron City, Daruk was chewing on a sirloin rock roast as Bludo paced nearby him near the Bridge of Eldin by that odd deactivated Shrine that had been there for thousands of years, "Bludo, calm down will you? The kid will be back when he's done and not a moment sooner."

Bludo glanced at him, "You _know_ how important of a milestone it is when a Goron child hits their growth spurt Lord Daruk. From today, Yunobo is no longer a child, he's a Goron adult like the rest of us." Bludo rubbed the hair of his long white beard as he pondered contemplatively, "It's weird.. I've been waiting for this for so long, but now that it's here.."

Daruk roared with laughter, "I believe the Hylians refer to what you're feeling as 'empty nest syndrome'."

"Empty-- _what_?" Bludo frowned, "Hylians are so _weird_."

"Hylians like to compare themselves to animals." Daruk shrugged, "In this case birds. Its a trait of the long lasting empathy that they hold for all living creatures in Hyrule." Daruk sighed as he looked up into the Eldin sky, the little flickering flames of heat surrounding them. Those two especially.. they were so much alike. No wonder Link had turned out to be his friend's descendant, even if she hadn't been aware of it at first.

( _"Young master, I do not believe focusing on the lineage of your friend will help right now. I know you are worried about your grandchild as well."_ | Daruk frowned as he continued to chew on his roast rock. | _"I know the kid can handle it. And who are you calling 'young'? I'm over a hundred years old, so you know."_ | _"Not really. We've been over this before. Thanks to the furnace's power, your biological age is exactly the same as it was one hundred years ago. And besides, I am even older then you could possibly imagine. You are all so young compared to me."_ )

Bludo and Daruk's heads shot up as Yunobo approached them from Gorko Lake, panting heavily. After months of being with the kid as a child, it was still kinda odd to see him just as tall as himself now. "Kid!" Daruk got up, "How'd it go?"

Yunobo continued to pant, placing his cobble crusher down by Daruk, but then grinned as he lifted a shining diamond ore that had been holding securely in his blue cloth that now fit him perfectly. "I think it was a little _too_ easy actually, taking out that Igneo Talus at Gorku Lake goro, since I have your power after all grandpa Daruk."

Daruk laughed loudly, reaching out and slamming his hand down on Yunobo's back who yelped a little. "Good going kid! I knew you would have no trouble, now you're officially a Goron adult."

Yunobo chuckled a little, rubbing the back of his head, "The only reason I'm so brave now is because of _you_ grandpa." he sighed, "If you weren't here, I'd have been way too scared to go through our Goron tradition to prove myself as an adult.. goro.."

"Nonsense! You even beat _me_ didn't you, back when I had all that weird goop on me in Rudania."

Yunobo frowned even more, rubbing his arm, "That's not.. I didn't _really_ beat you. I was barely holding my own back there, goro, the only reason I was able to keep on as long as I could was because I had your power and you couldn't use your own. Otherwise you would have _destroyed_ me."

( _"That's right. You explained that to me too, right?"_ | _"Correct. The Calamity that was possessing your bodies would have been unable to use the abilities that you Pilots trained your own bodies to do over many years, and can even pass to your descendants."_ | _"But you said that Link **can**."_ | _"I.."_ | The voice hesitated. It still regretted terribly telling him that much. | _"Yes."_ | _"Is that because of the Sheikah slate thingy?"_ | _"Young master, I apologise, but it is not my place to tell you about such things."_ )

Daruk patted his grandchild's back. It was still weird thinking of him as such. In Goron culture you referred to your child as 'brother'. Apparantly Yunobo had heard a Hylian who had come to the City once use the various terms for family, and he had liked the terms so much he had started using 'father' and 'grandpa' for them. Ah well, if it made Yunobo happy, then Daruk was fine with the odd Hylian terms.

"Kid, even without that, you've already proved yourself so much. You went up to Death Mountain so many times with Bludo to stop Rudania, you helped Link get up there too." Daruk grinned, "Yunobo, kid, you may not be _the_ Hylian Hero, but you're still a Hero to the Gorons."

Yunobo glanced at him, "..You think so?" he looked down at his own large hands that had seemingly grown so much in so little time, "Then why am I always still so scared every day, goro?"

Daruk hummed a little, maybe a bit too contemplative for usual demeanour, "..Kid, let me give you some advice. Not everyone is fearless all the time."

Yunobo looked at Daruk, his eyes wide, "..Really? Even _you_?"

Daruk almost blanched a little, glancing to Bludo before looking back at Yunobo. The kid really needed a pick me up right about now.. Daruk sighed. "Yeah kid. Even me." he looked a little embarassed as he rubbed his own head, "..Let me tell you about something that happened before I became Rudania's Pilot." he glanced between the two of them, "You gotta promise me though, that you won't tell _anyone_. It's.." he crossed his arms, "embarassing."

Bludo sighed, "I think I know what story you're going to tell him. But that's fine, I haven't told anyone after all."

Yunobo nodded, "What happened grandpa?"

"It was when the tiny Princess came up to recruit me as a Pilot. Of course, I accepted immediately. But when we spotted a group of monsters attacking someone, I rushed into help, chasing the monsters away." Daruk poked his cheek a little. Even Yunobo could tell how embarassed he was telling this story, "But it turned out out the creature that needed saving.. was.. well.."

"Come on now Daruk, don't hesitate now, you've gotten this far after all, it was a dog." Bludo said, deadpan.

"A.. dog?" Yunobo had seen those before, when Bludo had taken him down Eldin once to Foothill Stable, "You mean one of those Hylian retrievers?"

Daruk sighed, "I was so scared when it barked at me, I dropped my Boulder Breaker and activated my protection power, right there in front of the tiny Princess." he poked his fingers of his hands together, "I used to get chased all the time by those things when I was a young Goron, so just seeing one scared me so much, even as an adult." he looked up at Yunobo, "But you.. you've had to deal with so much more terrifying things then dogs haven't you Yunobo? Not just you either, but the entirety of Hyrule too.. the blood moon, aggressive monster attacks, and the threat of Rudania activating at any moment." Daruk grinned all of a sudden, "I think, when you take all that into consideration, and how you've risen above it, you're even braver then me Yunobo kid!"

Yunobo looked at Daruk, his eyes wide. "You think so?"

Then Rudania, which had been parked near them let out a deafening roar as the three Gorons turned to stare at it.

( _"Nnngh.. no..! I won't let you..!"_ | _"Hey, old spirit, what's wrong?"_ | _"Pilot.. get away.. protect your-- AAAUUGGHHH!!"_ )

Daruk winced as a piercing shriek seemed to fill his entire body before a deafening silence filled his soul. "No no!! Why now?!" Daruk grit his teeth together, as he stepped forwards, raising his fists up to Rudania as the blue glow flickered between sickly red and usual its Ancient Sheikah blue.

"Grandpa, what's wrong?!" Yunobo cried out.

"It thats darned monster at the castle!! It's trying to take over the Divine Beasts!!"

"..What?!" Yunobo stepped forward, his eyes wide as looked at Rudania struggling against the Calamity, its long legs thrashing, sending lava splashing against the mountainside. It was strange, Daruk knew he was connected to the other Pilots and he could sense Mipha and Revali struggling too, but there was someone else with them.. Link maybe? The Hylian girl _could_ use their powers after all, so maybe she was connected with them too? Gah, he couldn't really be thinking of this, not when Rudania was struggling right there in front of him.

Daruk stepped forwards, "Come on Rudania, let me in! I know it took ages for us to connect back then, but I need to connect to the furnace if I can stop this!"

"Wait, grandpa!" Yunobo was reaching out for him, "Are you going to get possessed again, like you were back then?" Daruk glanced over his shoulder at the Goron youth who Bludo was now trying to get him to follow back to Goron City.

"No way! I won't let that monster take me over again!" gritting his teeth once more, Daruk turned back to Rudania, who shakily managed to open the two large holes on it's back, allowing it's pilot to enter. "There we go!" Daruk grinned, despite himself, "Alright, I just gotta get in there now."

"Yunobo COME ON!!" Bludo yelled, "Let Lord Daruk handle it, he knows best about the Divine Beast after all."

Yunobo clenched his fists together. No. He needed to stop running away. "I'm.. I'm going too!"

Daruk turned sharply, looking at the kid over his shoulder, his eyes wide, "What?! _No!_ "

"Yunobo are you mad--!!" Bludo shrieked.

"I don't care! You said I was brave, grandpa, then let me prove it. I may not be the Pilot, or the Hylian Hero, but I have your power, goro! There must be _something_ I can do!"

"Daruk, say something! _Stop him!_ "

Daruk looked at Yunobo's dark blue eyes.. the same as his own.. and despite himself, the Goron chuckled a little. "You really determined to do this, kid?"

"Yes sir!"

"Guess I can't really stop you then huh? You'd find a way to come aboard, even if I forbade you, huh? Just like you and Link did that night when you came to Rudania."

"DARUK--!!" Bludo yelled out.

With his Boulder Breaker firmly in its holster on his back, Daruk dropped his fists as he looked at the jump below him into Rudania. Daruk reached out and slammed his hand into Yunobo's back, "Alright then kid, let's go. There's no way we're gonna let the Calamity take over the Divine Beasts." he grinned at Yunobo, "Hyrule needs us."

"Yes sir!" and with that, the two launched themselves with their protection power, right into the open holes of Rudania which quickly snapped shut behind them.

Bludo dropped to his knees, stunned, as Rudania let another roar before heading starting to head south west down the mountain, "What's up with this crazy family, they're so headstrong to rush into danger.." he sighed, watching the Divine Beast leave, his thoughts of Yunobo's father then, "..You were the same too, weren't you kid?"

\---

In Rito Village, Revali was perched high on Medoh, right atop the head of the Divine Beast, which itself was perched on the highest peak of Rito Village, looking down below keeping watch over the Village to protect it just incase they were attacked, and at this moment in particular he was having an argument with the spirit in his Divine Beast.

( _"Well, I think you **should** go down to the village, Master. They've been asking for you to show off your skills to the the young Rito for a while, and I know you especially loved doing that back in the day."_ | _"Tsk. I've already told you, I don't want too."_ | _"Why not?"_ | _"Because.."_ | Revali grimaced as he held tightly onto his Great Eagle Bow. | _"I have a job to do here. I need to watch over the village. The children will have to wait until after the Calamity is gone. I'm sure they understand that."_ | _"You know I can tell when you're lying right? You feel guilty for attacking the village. You really shouldn't though. It wasn't your fault that the Calamity took over your body."_ | Damn this spirit. Revali almost wished he didn't know about it, even though he knew it was important knowledge they needed. The spirit was far too blunt for his own liking. | _"Stop it! Stop reading my thoughts!"_ )

"..Master Revali?"

Revali was startled out of his thoughts as he glanced over his shoulder.

"Oh, it's just you Teba." The white feathered Rito came to sit down beside Revali as the Rito Champion looked back outwards to Hyrule Castle. "Have you heard anything about Link?"

Teba nodded, "Kass returned earlier today, he said Link made it to the Gerudo Desert a while back."

"Good." Revali's hands tightened around around his bow, his green Rito eyes focused on the castle, "Then it shouldn't be much longer until Urbosa is freed and we can all meet up in Kakariko to figure out our next move to stop the Calamity."

"Are you not hungry Master Revali? You haven't been down all day." Teba glanced at him. The Rito Champion looked so _tired_. It seemed all he did these days was keep watch over the village. "..Have you even been sleeping?"

"Tsk." Revali turned away from him, "I'll sleep when the Calamity is gone."

"Master--"

" _Don't_ call me that." Revali snapped, turning away from Teba. The Sheikah spirit and the Rito too. Once Revali reveled in the praise he was given, but now he was just _sick_ of it.

"Revali then." Teba crossed his arms, a stern look in his yellow eyes, "You can't do your job protecting Hyrule if you're exhausted and hungry. You need to take care of yourself before you can save Hyrule from the Calamity."

"What are you, my mother?" Revali grumbled.

"..You know no-one blames you for what happened, right?"

"Oh, don't give me that!" Revali snapped, glaring at Teba, "I heard from Kaneli, you know. You and Harth were going to _kill me_ to protect the village!"

Teba uncrossed his arms, "And despite your attitude, I'm glad we ultimately didn't." he sighed, looking right at Revali's green eyes, "From your tone though, it almost sounds like you _wanted_ that."

"Tsk.."

Teba sighed, unwrapping the food item he had brought with him. "Here. We made it with the recipe you gave us last time you were in the village."

Revali blanched as he was given the slice of fruitcake covered with fancy cream and a slice of the apple and bit of wildberry used to make it decorating the top, looking up at Teba with wild green eyes. "..I didn't think you'd actually make it."

Teba looked at him, confused, "Why not? We have all the ingredients, Tabantha wheat, cane sugar, two types of fruit. The children were so happy, finally getting to try that legendary fruitcake recipe they had heard about for years."

Revali took the slice of cake, looking down at it clasped in his wings. His stomach growled just at the sight of it but.. seeing it just made him feel _more_ miserable. Goddess, Revali could even feel tears start to prick at his eyes and he hated it. He hated how broken he felt now. Carefully, he used the feathery fingers of his wings to pick at a little bit of the cake, dropping the morsel into his beak as he slowly chewed. It was moist, fruity and _delicious_ , just like he remembered. The Princess would have loved this.

Oh no. He could feel the tears threatening to fall and he placed the cake slice down on his lap, reaching up and wiping his eyes desperately.

"Revali?"

Damn him. Damn all of this. Revali had never been good at talking about his feelings at the best of times.

"..This fruitcake was the Princess' favourite, you know."

Teba was silent for a few moments, "You should have told us that before I brought you a piece then. I would have brought you some salmon muenière or something else instead." It was painfully obvious at this point how Revali felt about her, at this point, even if he had never spoken about it in actual words. Teba would see how Revali would tense anytime someone even _mentioned_ the Princess, in their meetings back in Kaneli's home.

Revali grumbled, but looked away as he continued to eat the fruitcake slice, "Don't look at me like that Teba. It's not like I was in _love_ with her, not in the same way Mipha felt about Link.."

"But you liked her."

"Yes. I liked her. Mipha too. Mipha, I respected her as a warrior and a fellow Champion. But the Princess.." Revali shuddered a little. He didn't really want to be talking about this, but it seemed the feelings inside him had bottled up for too long. He needed to rant. "She _worked_ so hard Teba. Constantly, day after day, month after month, year after year. And for what?" he glared viciously back at the castle, "To die in that castle for _nothing_."

Teba looked at him sympathetically. If glares could kill, the Calamity would be dead a thousand times over by now.

"It shouldn't have been her. Why did she have to die, while I got to live?" Revali wiped his face again, before turning to Teba once more, "You said it's two days now, right? Two days until the hundred year anniversary of the Calamity's attack on Hyrule Castle." Teba nodded and Revali continued, "Then it should be that day that we commence our attack on the Castle." he tightened his wings, "..So finally, Princess Zelda, and all the other souls who were lost that day, can finally be laid to rest."

( _"What?!"_ | Revali narrowed his eyes as he looked at Medoh. | _"What are you blathering on about now, spirit?"_ | _"There's.. something wrong.. gnnnhhh!"_ | _"..Spirit?"_ | Revali didn't like that weird cry of pain. | _"Master.. it's the Calamity's malice.. AAUGGGGHHH!!"_ )

Revali winced as the connection between him and the spirit was cut off, the voice going silent and at the same time, Medoh let out a piercing shriek as it rumbled from it's place right atop the village as Revali and Teba stumbled backwards.

"Revali, what's going on?!" Teba yelled out.

"Medoh..!" Revali looked behind him and his eyes widened. The furnace.. it was flickering between blue and orange. And he could sense it, even if he couldn't see it, the eyes of Medoh that usually glowed blue were flickering between blue and the sickly red colour that had once been all his own form and had even come from his own mouth. Revali jumped up, rushing over to the furnace as Teba followed him.

Revali reached out desperately to the energy of the furnace, trying to connect to the spirit once more, but failing as Medoh continued to shriek and flail.

"Come on.." Revali growled, "where _are_ you spirit, I know you're there!"

" _REVALI!_ " Teba yelled out, "What's going on?!"

The Rito Champion looked at him with panicked green eyes so unlike him, "It's the Calamity. It's trying to take over the Divine Beasts."

"Right." Teba nodded, "Then how do we stop it?"

"'We' aren't doing anything, _I'm_ Medoh's pilot, it's my duty to protect to Hyrule, whether that be from the Calamity or even Medoh itself. You're going back down to the village, and then I'm going to fly Medoh as far away from Rito Village as possible."

"You're joking." the other Rito scoffed, "You're not getting rid of me that easy Master Revali."

"I told you not to call me--"

"I barely did anything when Link came here." Teba frowned, his wings tightening on his falcon bow, "In fact, I'm pretty sure my presence just made everything _worse_. The only way I'm leaving is if you throw me off Medoh, and even then I'll still follow you." Revali looked at Teba's yellow eyes, feeling stunned. What was _with_ this Rito? "Because my dream, Master Revali, is to become as good an archer as you." he chuckled, "No, actually, that's a lie, I want to be _better_ then you."

Revali laughed, despite himself, "Better then the best Rito archer ever, huh? That's a pretty big dream you know." Many Rito, even before had wanted to be as good as him, but none had ever tried to aim higher. "Then that make you my rival Teba. I won't be beaten yet."

Teba nodded and grinned, "I wouldn't have it any other way Master Revali."

..Hn. He actually felt a little bit more like his old self right now. Revali stepped away from the furnace, placing his wings out as he concentrated as hard as he could on the furnace's energy. "Alright then Teba. Watch how the Pilot of Divine Beast Vah Medoh works, and just try to see if you can keep up." As Medoh's feet took off from the perch, the Divine Beast stumbled a little to the left and right before taking off, flying to the south towards the high peaks of the Gerudo Highlands.

It was strange. As Revali fought for control, he could feel _them_ near him too. Mipha, Daruk.. and someone else too.. Urbosa maybe? Had she already been freed? If that was the case, then perhaps this was the Calamity's last desperate attempts to retake control of them. Revali could feel them all, as if they were right there next to him. They were all fighting so hard to control their Divine Beasts against the Calamity trying to possess them.

"Come on you damn Calamity. You want the Divine Beasts that badly? You going to have to rip them from our cold dead bodies."

\---

Link gasped as she staggered back, her eyes flickering between blue and green rapidly as Riju rushed to her side, placing her hands on the girl's shoulders. "Link!"

"Something's.. wrong.." Link panted wildly. ( _"It's the Calamity."_ ) "I _know_ that!"

Riju startled at Link's yell, but then her head shot us the sandstorm seemed to intensify around the Hylian, the Gerudo and the two sand seals. She pulled the Thunder Helm from her head, as Riju looked outwards to the Divine Beast. Something was coming. Even _she_ could sense it.

Suddenly, the sandstorm completely disappeared. As if it had never even been there. And before them.. Riju's hands fled to her mouth. There was a figure, outside of Vah Naboris, right there standing in the sands in front of them, covered in the same red sickly malice that had appeared from Link's own mouth. Even covered in the stuff, Riju could tell who it was. She recognised those weapons the figure was carrying. The Scimitar of the Seven and the Daybreaker.

"Lady Urbosa.."

The figure was completely still, blue guardian like eyes focused on the two in front of her. No, not the two of them. The malice infused Gerudo's eyes were locked directly on Link's form, and Urbosa's hand tightened around her scimitar. Riju could hear voices near her, and her head shot up as her eyes widened even more. No.. she hadn't even realised it, but they were _right_ next to Kara Kara Bazaar. She could even see some of the Hylians and Gerudo from the bazaar right at the edge of it, looking onto the scene in front of them as they murmured amongst themselves.

Link's eyes widened as she looked at the people of Kara Kara Bazaar and Riju's hands tightened around Link's shoulders. She knew exactly what was going through Link's mind at that point. How could they save the people of Kara Kara Bazaar _and_ fight Urbosa at the same time?

Then, as if things couldn't possibly get any worse.. they heard the whirring.

"No.." Link said weakly as she got to her feet. Coming out of Vah Naboris were the same type of mini guardians she had seen all the way back in that shrine in Kakariko. Dozens of them at least. But instead of the orange glow the guardian in that shrine had been, they glowed the same sickly red as any other possessed guardian out here in Hyrule.

Her right hand tightened on the Dragon's Shield, as she pulled out the Sword that Seals the Darkness from it's scabbard with her left, which started to glow a bright blue. This was it then. She had thought it would have come much later, when she was in Hyrule Castle, but it appeared that this here would be the battle that would determine Hyrule's fate once and for all.


	24. Divine Beast Vah Naboris Part II - The Past, Present & Future of Hyrule

( _"Ruta, Rudania, Medoh and Naboris." The King looked over the parchments, written in what was evantually be known as Ancient Sheikah text, but in this time was considered very modern. He looked up at the Sheikah man in front of him, "Where are those names from?"_

_"I pulled them from fairytale stories told among the four races who have gladly helped in whatever way they can, to fulfill your wishes, my liege." the Sheikah man was bent on one knee, his red eyes focused and still as he looked at the floor, the large Sheikah hat covering them from view._

_"..Hm. Even the Gerudo?"_

_The Sheikah man tensed a little, but made sure not to let any emotion pass over his face. He was still as calm and controlled as the day he first met the King almost twenty years previously as a young child. "..Yes sire, I have conversed much with the Gerudo tribe in the past years. They wish for nothing more then the continued prosperity of this land, and to develop a long lasting relationship with the people of Hyrule, that will last for millenia. They too have pledged their allegiance to you."_

_"That's good isn't it." The King stood up, locking his arms behind his back, "After all, what kind of a King would be if I let my subjects suffer thanks to unwarranted superstitions like those ones." he spread his arms out, "Our great land of Hyrule is long past those disasters that once plagued our history, we must now look to our future." the King sighed, moving to sit in his throne once more, "..And speaking of the past, how are our.. allies in Faron?"_

_The Sheikah man's eyes narrowed a little, "..Unchanged, your majesty."_

_The King sighed, regretfully, "Hm. We will have to keep a close eye on them in the upcoming years. I'll leave that to your people."_

_"It will be done, sire. Is there anything else?"_

_"No, that is all for now." he clapped his hands together, "I shall leave it to you then, my dear friend, for the construction of these great 'Divine Beasts' as you have so designated them."_

_The Sheikah nodded as he moved to stand, and turned to leave the throne room. When suddenly, the King spoke out to him again._

_"..By the way, I have heard from your sister that our blessed Goddess has granted you a dear gift in the form of a son. Congratulations."_

_The Sheikah's hand tensed on the door as panic filled him. A moment later, he turned back to the King and he had once again returned back to his calm collected self. "Thank you, your majesty."_

_"As it turns out, I too was gifted a precious child recently, my dear Princess, named after her foremothers of course." the King smiled widely, "Perhaps we could have them meet some time?"_

_The Sheikah smiled and hoped it didn't look strained, "..Perhaps, but not for a while. I will be very busy constructing the Divine Beasts and developing the energy needed to fuel them, with my sister's help of course. I will be taking my child with me too, you understand, since I assume she told you about what happened to the boy's mother."_

_The King sighed, "Yes, that is unfortunate.. death by childbirth is such a tragic way to pass on to the Spirit Realm. Maybe once the Divine Beasts are finished, we could look into a way to stop such minor personal tragedies too." the King let out a hum as he rubbed his beard, looking up into the patterned design above his throne, adorned with the golden triangles that had become the Royal Family's symbol, "..Perhaps, with all this energy, we could even stop death itself."_ )

\---

Link's hand tightened around the Blade that Seals the Darkness as she charged forwards in the desert sands, towards one of the closest mini guardians that had appeared, raising the glowing blue blade as she slashed it right through the head and going straight through the guardian's blue eye, the glowing blue blade slicing through the unknown Ancient Sheikah material like it was goat butter. The mini guardian's red sickly lights flickered as it's internal blue energy power source stuttered, before what was left of it's body collapsed to the sands around it. Link panted wildly as she looked around, raising the Sheikah slate quickly and writing ancient Sheikah text ' **PURIFY** ' before tapping the text as she cloned it into multiple shimmering copies and sending each copy to every possible nearest guardian. The mini guardians stuttered as the magic rune hit their bodies and flickered back to their usual orange glow. 

Link could _feel_ the malice infused form of the Gerudo Chief Urbosa charging right for her, before she had even seen her and the Hylian span quickly, her hands tightening on her weapons once more as Urbosa raised her scimitar high and they clashed together, sparks flying between their blades.

Link could hear the panicked screams of the people at the nearby Kara Kara Bazaar as they too realised what was happening at just the sheer _amount_ of mini guardians that quickly (way too quickly) were starting to shudder as they flickered between that orange and red glow, but she grit her teeth, focusing her attention on the Gerudo in front of her.

"Lady Urbosa!" Link screamed out, "Please, _please_ , I need you to fight back as hard as you possibly can!" she turned to look over her shoulder, as one of the mini guardians crawled on it's long legs to Riju who was seemingly frozen, her green eyes wide at the horror in front of her. She looked back to Urbosa, who's blue guardian eyes were focused right on her. "Urbosa.." Link grit her teeth, pulling back from the clash as she slashed out at a different angle, but Urbosa was quicker, moving around at such a fast pace it was almost like she was dancing. Their blades clashed once more as Urbosa pushed Link backwards, further towards Naboris and further away from Riju and the people of Kara Kara Bazaar. Link could see them now, as the guardians moved quicker and quicker towards the people.

Link pulled back for a moment, then pushed her weapons as hard as she could against Urbosa's and the Gerudo Chief staggered back. Link then kicked out, wincing as her armour clad feet hit the malice on Urbosa's chest. It was fine, she was fine, she had dealt with pain worse then this. While Urbosa was staggered, Link grabbed the slate once more, rewriting the same purify spell and dropping her weapons for a moment, pushing her arms out in front of her, sending the rune magic as quickly as she possibly could outwards once more to the various guardians.

Urbosa let out a guttural growl and lifted her own hand and Link startled in shock as tendrils of malice, much like the ones that covered Hyrule on the nights of the blood moon started moving outwards, following her own Sheikah magic towards the various guardians. There was something else too, something only she could recognise. Written in those little particles, in sickly red instead of Sheikah blue, was the same type of Ancient Sheikah text. Link watched as her own rune magic touched the guardians.. but then was completely cancelled out by the malice, and they flickered back to red almost immidiately.

Urbosa leapt at her again, and Link grabbed her weapons once more as their blades and shields clashed with each other again and Link grit her teeth, one eye focused on the fight in front of her, and the other on the guardians as they continued moving forwards.

No.. Link was going to be forced to watch them _die_ right in front of her. With her blue eyed state activated, she could sense the Gerudo soldiers from the town heading to their position, but they weren't going to make it in time. And there was something else too.. she could sense it.. there was something else _coming_ to the desert. Link looked behind her shoulder, but Naboris' entrance had shut behind her after releasing all the mini guardians. She couldn't get to the furnace.

With bright glowing blue eyes, Link looked at Urbosa's malice infused form in front of her. Her movements were precise and focused. And she had the advantage thanks to her superior height and strength. When it came down to it, no matter how much Link had trained fighting monsters the past few months, she was still just a thirteen year old child.

( _"Voice! Chi! What am I supposed to do?!"_ | _"Link!"_ | That was Chi's voice. | _"Where's your brother?!"_ | _"I.. I don't know."_ | Chi sounded panicked as well.)

Link sobbed, her hands trembling as she held the Blade and the Dragon's Shield, sparks continously flying from them as she was pushed backwards more by Urbosa. How.. how had her uncle dealt with all this pressure back then? And the other Heroes too before her.. Link hadn't even _gotten_ into the castle yet. If this was bad now, how was it going to be once she was in there? How was she going to stop the Calamity on it's own turf?

( _"I'm sorry, you were right, I was being arrogant back there at Sanidin Park!"_ | Link willed her thoughts to the voice in the slate, but the voice didn't respond. | _"Is this because I spoke to the Gerudo about what happened ten thousand years ago?!"_ | Nothing. | _"Please, I don't know what to do! I have all these Sheikah powers, but the Calamity's malice its just too strong!"_ )

The voice wouldn't even respond and Link lifted her eyes back up to the Gerudo who was now pressing downwards on top of her, as malice dripped down from her form. Link desperately pushed up the Sword that Seals the Darkness, pressing down on her feet against the desert sands as she fought back with Urbosa with all of her might.

Link had gone with Sidon, which had badly hurt and traumatized him. Then she had tried the opposite, even going as far as using the slate to stop Yunobo from following her. She still remembered the panic in Teba's eyes as she lifted the blade to him (the voice had been possessing her too then, she had realised). Now, with Riju her desperate eyes looked at the girl in front of her and she watched as Riju shakily got to her feet, pulling a scimitar and the Gerudo shield she had been using with Patricia to get out here up as the mini guardian got closer and closer to her.

( _"All those months ago, you told me that I needed to keep this whole thing a secret didn't you? The slate and the sword.. but I would have never gotten this far if it weren't for them. And not just them! So many people have helped me on this journey!"_ | Link could feel tears falling freely from her face. | _"I might be the Hero.. but I'm still just one person. And right now.. I CAN'T DO THIS ALONE!"_ )

There was a sound of arrows near her and Link rose her head, startled. Even Urbosa's head whipped around, as one of the mini guardians was destroyed completely on impact.

"Wow!" Beedle cried out, looking at the lizal bow he was carrying, with a glowing blue arrow attached to it, "I knew Robbie's arrows packed a punch, but I had no idea they could take out a whole guardian just like that!"

Next to him, the Hylian girl Link had noticed before at Kara Kara Bazaar with the pink clothing.. Vilia.. Link had heard one of the other merchants speak her name when she had been there, was carrying a similiar lizal boomerang and shield, and she hurled the boomerang at the other nearby guardian, hitting it right in the eye. The guardian stuttered and shuddered at it's weakness being attacked, staggering backwards with it's long legs and Vilia reached out, grabbing the boomerang back in her hand.

"Oh my.." Vilia said, "You were right about the eyes being the weakness Beedle." she threw the boomerang again, hitting the next guardian and Beedle grinned as he loaded another arrow, aiming the bow and firing on the guardian that was right next to Riju. It just missed the eye, but the guardian staggered back anyway due to how strong the arrows were and Beedle waved with his other hand, "You alright there little Gerudo girl?"

The two Hylians stood back to back as they continued fighting and Link watched stunned as the Gerudo soldiers finally came rushing up behind Riju, Buliara and Teake leading the assault as a rain of arrows fired down on the guardians at all sides. "Lady Riju!" Buliara called out, raising her golden claymore as she charged forwards, stabbing the large sword right into the eye of the closest nearby guardian.

"..What are they doing?" Urbosa's voice gurgled with malice and Link startled, looking up at the Gerudo Chief who had seemingly forgotten she was there, watching as the guardian army brought from Naboris was attacked constantly.

"HEY!" Link screamed out and Urbosa's head moved back to her, as Link charged forwards again, the blue blade glowing brighter then it had ever been before, "LET HER _GO_!"

Urbosa let out a guttural growl as she raised her weapons and they began clashing again, but Urbosa.. or rather the Calamity was distracted now. It was trying to control all the guardians and the Gerudo Chief at the same time and Link stepped around in the sands, as their blades continued to clash and spark against each other, the Calamity desperately trying to regain control of the situation as laser beams shot out into the sky above the desert, never able to find their shot due to how staggered they were against the Gerudo rain of arrows and weapons against them.

In front of them, Riju was arguing with Buliara, even as the older Guard Captain was fighting against the mini guardians, "Get back to the town now Lady Riju, that's an order!" Riju's arms tightened around Patricia as she watched Link and Urbosa clash with each other. It had been a one sided struggle before, but now Link was expertly dodging and fighting with the malice infused Gerudo. She would raise her shield as Urbosa was about to strike and parry back,

Riju glanced back over at Kara Kara Bazaar. Apart from those two Hylians and the rest of the Gerudo scouts and soldiers who had joined their bretheren in the battle, the other Hylians in the market were still cowering by the stalls as they shook and cried. Riju's hands tightened. She understood, really she did.. guardians were terrifying, even if they were these mini versions and not the full on stalkers out there in Central Hyrule but..

Before she knew it, Riju was running forwards towards Kara Kara Bazaar, ignoring Buliara who screamed at her, past the two Hylians who looked at her and right into the middle of the market place, "What are you all doing?!" The Hylians looked up at her, with pitiful looks in their eyes. Riju pointed at Link, still fighting with the malice infused Gerudo, "You all willingly let a _child_ fight for you, but you won't even try to fight back yourselves!"

One of the Hylians trembled, "But.. but they're _guardians_. If it was just bokoblins, maybe we'd stand a chance but.."

"Besides.." another Hylian spoke, "she's the Hero isn't she? The one from Traysi's report? She has the Legendary Sword.. she could probably handle all of this by herself, right? We're just merchants.."

Riju's hand tightened around her scimitar, "You're merchants, but you've fought against monsters before, haven't you? Aren't you supposed to be Hylians? What happened to not turning your back on a fellow Hyrulean?"

"But she's--"

"And she's not just the 'Legendary Hero'." Riju continued, looked back over her shoulder, at the figure of Link, fighting and seemingly dancing with Urbosa in the desert sands just outside Kara Kara Bazaar, her green eyes soft as she watched her, "She's from Lurelin Village, her favourite food is seafood paella and she dislikes sweet food and.." Riju clasped her hands together, "She's so kind.. and loving and _good_.. and even though she's on this super important mission to save all of Hyrule, she helps _anyone_ in need." Riju could feel the tears leaking from her eyes and stretched her arms out, "She loves Hyrule and it's people so much, that she even wants to save the _Yiga Clan_."

"The Yiga Clan?!"

"What, is she mad--"

"They're virtually no different from the _monsters_!"

Riju stepped forwards, as she raised her voice, "One hundred years ago, the Champions and Hyrulean army fought to protect the people in Castle Town. Because of them, so many lives were saved, and the people were able to go on to live in settlements that still stand today. My friend, fighting back there, she's a descendant one of those survivors." Riju looked over at the Hylians, "What about you? Are there any descendants among you?"

The Hylians looked among themselves as they started to murmur. It appeared some of them were indeed descendants, and Riju continued speaking once more, "The soldiers in the castle lost their lives, and for a long time we believed the Champions to be gone as well." Riju pointed at Urbosa, "But they're not! The Champions are alive, but they've been twisted by that _monster_ in the Castle! That's why my friend is fighting as hard as she can, to save them, so that Hyrule can stop being afraid of monsters and guardians and the blood moon, and we can return to a life of peace, like how it was before the Calamity attacked all those years ago!"

"Before the Calamity attacked.." the murmurs among the Hylians grew.

"But we need help!" The young Gerudo Chief pointed at the fighting Gerudo soldiers and the two Hylians too, "Look how much we've distracted the Calamity already just by fighting back already! If even more people help us to fight back, I know we can turn back this terrible situation, and save Lady Urbosa!" Riju rose her fist into the sky, "We all live here in this land of Hyrule, and we may not be Heroes or Champions, but we can still fight for our home!"

"CHARGE!!" a loud voice suddenly screamed out near Riju and the young Gerudo Chief's head shot up and her eyes widened. Coming out of Gerudo Desert Gateway were a whole army of Hyrulean soldiers, wearing the same soldier's gear as Link wore, charging right for the battle happening in front of them. They must have been from Akkala Citadel.

Riju watched stunned as the Hyrulean army charged forwards into the sands, raising their weapons and she jolted again. They weren't carrying soldier's weapons. Instead they were using weapons that glowed as bright blue as Link's own eyes and the arrows that one Hylian merchant had.

One of the soldiers, a blonde haired Hylian who wasn't wearing a helmet panted as he reached the bazaar. "Goddess, I didn't think we would make it in time for a while back there. It's a good thing we never stopped for rest, alternating between someone steering the horses and the rest of us resting in the carts so we could be well rested and prepared for this."

Riju stepped forwards, "Excuse me?"

The Hylian, Nell, glanced at her, "Oh you.. you must be the current Gerudo Chief? I hope you don't mind that we came along."

"No, of course not!" Riju's heart felt so light. It had felt so hopeless before but now.. with the the Hyrulean army and the Gerudo soldiers, it actually felt like they stood a chance. "But may I ask.. why did you come all the way down here from Akkala? Is the Citadel not being protected right now?"

"If I may." one of the captains approached the two, "We've had plans that were given to us by ancestors a long time ago, just in case a situation like this were to ever occur with the Divine Beasts. Once we were delivered a copy of of the Super Rumour Mill, informing us of this Divine Beast situation, we started preparing for this very situation. Of course, we've been in contact with Robbie, the Sheikah scientist in Akkala, and met up with him first to equip us with these special Ancient weapons. Then we divided our forces, half staying at Akkala and half to come here to the desert where we knew the last Divine Beast was."

Riju nodded, "Well, as Chief of the Gerudo and on behalf of them, we greatly thank you for your support." the Hylian captain nodded, raising his Ancient Spear as the soldiers charged once more into battle alongside the Gerudo soldiers. Even the Hylian merchants were following suit, emboldened by the army arriving, taking their travelers weapons and heading into battle. "Soldiers, help the Gerudo soldiers with the guardians! But do not touch the Champion, leave that one for the Hero!"

Riju watched it all amazed. Gerudo and Hylians, fighting together against the Calamity, and with the Sheikah weapons too, it was almost like the Sheikah themselves were fighting alongside them, even if they weren't physically present at the moment. It was unfortunate the other races couldn't arrive, but this was fine as is. Riju knew they were here in spirit. Right now.. it was like all of Hyrule was fighting for their future. Tightening her fingers around the Thunder Helm, Riju rushed back to Buliara, her green eyes focused on Link ahead and seperate from them..

Link grit her teeth as the battle between herself and the malice infused Gerudo Champion intensified more as they constantly slashed their blades at each other, Link expertly dodging around Urbosa's wild desperate attacks at her. Link could _feel_ it. The Calamity was angry, almost deliriously so, from the current situation. Link's feet fell backwards and her back hit something. She looked up, seeing the looming towering form of Vah Naboris above her, realising it was one of Naboris' legs she had touched. The Sheikah slate on her side hummed loudly (she could almost _feel_ the furnace just out of reach) and Urbosa's blue guardian eyes looked down at the slate.

"HEY." Link's hands tightened on the blade, "Eyes on me, 'Great Calamity'. You've been after me all this time haven't you, you even sent that lynel from Coliseum Ruins after me didn't you?"

Urbosa let out a guttural growl, placing the Daybreaker on her back as she raised her free hand, and Link startled as she snapped her fingers. Nothing happened though and Urbosa practically let out a _roar_ as she looked down at her free hand.

"Sorry." Link felt emboldened now, placing her Dragon's Shield on her back as she reached for the Sheikah slate, "You can't use their powers, I thought you'd have figured that by now. But I can show you a real Urbosa's Fury if you'd like." she wrote Sheikah text into the screen, connecting her spirit to Urbosa's own and felt the lightning build in her fingertips.

( _"This isn't happening. Little bird.. how could I have failed you this badly?"_ )

Link jolted as Urbosa's thoughts finally reached her. With Link this close to the furnace, she supposed this would have happened sooner or later. And the version of Urbosa in front of her.. the Calamity's blue guardian eyes.. was staring right at her.. right at her face. Link gagged, feeling the malice bubble up in her throat. No, she couldn't be doing this right now, not when the Calamity was right here in Urbosa's body. She disconnected herself and Urbosa's spirit. She would have to wait until she could completely connect with the furnace.

Then a deafening cry pierced the already manic situation there in the desert and Link's head shot up, looking over her shoulder as her eyes widened. Crawling over East Gerudo Mesa was Divine Beast Vah Ruta, having seemingly come from Lake Hylia. It was awkward for the Divine Beast to crawl over the rugged rocky mountains, when it's forte was water and flat land, and it's legs were staggering as it tried to reach the Gerudo Desert.

Another overwhemingly loud shriek, and Link's head shot up again towards the Gerudo Highlands. There was Divine Beast Vah Medoh, flying directly over Kurasa Valley and towards the Desert.

Then a third resounding roar, and this time Link stepped forwards, completely ignoring Urbosa in front of her, who also seemed to be ignoring her (as a strange sickening cackling sound came from the malice in her throat) as she looked outwards towards Spectacle Rock. There was Divine Beast Vah Rudania, crawling it's legs over the rock formation, even as the slowest of all four, which had somehow still made it here all the way from the Eldin region.

"No. _No_. I can't fight all four of them at once if the Calamity retakes them." Link heard herself speak.. but it wasn't her voice. Or Chi's. Or the Champions. Or even the voice in the slate. There was someone _else_ talking through her. Link touched her free hand to her throat. What she had spoken.. wasn't even modern Hylian. _Ancient Sheikah._ She knew how to read it, but it was the first she had actually heard the language.

Link looked up at the three Divine Beasts heading towards them and Vah Naboris above her and finally realised what she had sensed was wrong about them. Their usual glowing blue.. was flickering between blue and red. Except for Naboris, which like before wasn't glowing at all.

"Did you not know, Spirit of the Hero?" Urbosa.. the Calamity.. gurgled as the _thing_ controling her body staggered around, lifting Urbosa's weapons once more as Link's hands tightened around her own weapons, "I thought you would have figured it out by now." it mocked her own words as it too spoke in the Ancient Sheikah language, "You are not the only one who has bonded to this technology." And Urbosa.. the Calamity.. leapt for her once more.

\---

( _Chi slammed her hands down on the table, a look of concern and frustation in her red eyes as her twin glanced at her. "We need to talk." Her twin just sighed as he moved to take the device he had been working on, writing Sheikah text into the screen as he focused the energy in it and brought up the blueprints once more for the Divine Beasts that were stored internally. "About what Chi?"_

_Chi grit her teeth. He sounded so dismissive. They had been getting more and more distant these past few years, but Chi was still tolerating him.. not for her twin, but for **his** sake. "You know about what."_

_"Do I now?" Frustrated even more, Chi kicked out, pushing the table away and to the side and her twin looked at her, a blank look on his face. "Come on now Chi, we're not little kids anymore. We're supposed to be working, for the sake of the Royal Fam--"_

_"If you say 'for the sake of the Royal Family' one more time, I will actually punch you, Sheikah code be damned." Chi growled. It would be years yet until her hatred really took hold, but even now she was developing a distaste for them, especially for the King that worked them so tirelessly without seemingly a shred of gratitude._

_"Then what would you like me to say instead? For the Goddess maybe?"_

_Chi growled darkly, "Stop. Avoiding. The. Discussion. What's **wrong** with him?"_

_Her twin turned away from her, "I don't know what you're talking ab--"_

_Chi reached out, grabbing roughly at his shoulders as she forced her twin to face her once more. "You and I were half his age when we figured out how to use our earliest Sheikah magic. He's still struggling with the basics."_

_"There's.." her twin looked at Chi's pained face, as a blank calm controlled look took over him (Chi was really starting to **hate** that look) "there's nothing wrong with him. He's just a slow learner that's all."_

_"You ever thought that maybe **you're** the problem?!" Chi yelled and her twin startled, looking to the left and right, worriedly, hoping that none of the Sheikah who were in the other rooms could hear with how loud Chi was. "You spend more time working on this damn project then you do with your own son! You know he comes to me every night, sobbing, wondering what's wrong with him, that his own father seemingly wants nothing to do with him?!"_

_Her twin sighed, reluctantly, "You both should know by now that my time is precious Chi, but if it makes you two happy, I will come to dinner and go over the basics with him again with him tonight, if that is alright with you?"_

_Chi's hand grasped around the front of his Sheikah jacket as she almost effortlessly lifted him up from the chair, holding his entire body up from the ground with just her strength alone in one hand. Her twin's eyes widened, despite himself. He knew she was strong, but when had she gotten **this** strong? There was a threat here, and the twin looked into his sister's eyes, as red as his own._

_"You better do more then just that. The kid's desperately lonely. He doesn't even know anyone of his own age, thanks to him living here on the Great Plateau with us, and you're not helping." Chi walked away, back to the door, before glancing back at her twin, "You're breaking that kid's heart every day, and I know he's your son, but he's my family too and I don't know how much longer I can put up with this."_ )

\---

A while back, before the Divine Beasts had turned up Bant was watching the chaos unfold, from the entrance to Kurasa Valley, with wide eyes behind his mask. It was like an all out _war_ there in the desert. You could even hear and see the laser beams all the way from here. Too bad most of the clan had left the hideout by this point, maybe they could have done something. Bant _wanted_ to do something. Even the Great Calamity with all of it's might was wholly unmatched against this many enmeies of such a magnitude, the Gerudo people, the Hyrulean army and the Hero too.. Bant's hand tightened around his duplex bow as he grit his teeth.

The Hero.. Bant had felt neutral about them before. They were the Clan's enemy, and therefore they were _his_ enemy. The one Hylian who he would actually have to kill and would have never hesitated against but.. would have probably still felt guilty about taking a life (it was just how he _was_ at this point). He had never wanted them to come back, had promptly forgotten about it that day five months ago, much like Dorian had seemingly also done so. But after almost losing his ex partner and the future Master of the Yiga Clan already once, and then the attack on the hideout.. that was _twice_ in three days that Master Dorian had ended up in the infirmary. Until he had woken up, they had genuinely believed him to be truly gone and the entire clan was frantic. Now Bant's heart _burned_ with an anger he hadn't found himself capable of before.

"Come on." he whispered, burning with rage, "Oh Great Calamity, burn all our enemies until there's nothing left."

"YEAH!!" a scream erupted near him and suddenly he felt a slap on his shoulder as he looked up, seeing Master Kohga behind him. "That's the spirit footsoldier!" Bant looked over his shoulder, realising a whole bunch of them were with him now, Arbiter and Kitt and others still, overlooking the situation alongside him. He'd been so focused on what was going on, he hadn't even sensed them.

"Master Kohga." Bant muttered, "Should we get out there and help?"

"Hmm." Kohga rubbed his chin under his mask a little, "No no, I think we would just get in the way. Besides.." he suddenly cackled as the elderly Master looked up above Kurasa Valley's skies, "I think our Great Lord is going to get some help very _very_ soon."

A shriek pierced the sky and the rest of the footsoldiers sharply looked up as Divine Beast Vah Medoh flew directly above their hideout. The Ancient Divine Beast was glowing, flickering betwen blue and red as it headed right for the desert in front of them, and Kohga continued to cackle wildly as he stretched out his arms, "I can't believe I'm actually going to say this.. but go Urbosa, herald of our Great Ancestor!! With the Great Calamity's malice, retake what you've lost and crush that miserable Hero once and for all!!"

Bant looked back to the other Yiga around them. There was one crucial figure missing from the group though and Bant couldn't help but frown under his mask. Where was Master Dorian? He was going to miss all the action.

\---

Sitting down on the tallest peak of Birida Lookout, Dorian watched the madness, his mask discarded and windcleaver laying on the rock next to him, his fingers gently grapsed around the blue cloth attched to it's hilt, and looking outwards near Kara Kara Bazaar with blank grey eyes. He had been watching for a while now. He felt like it was his _duty_ at this point to see this whole thing through, even if he couldn't get involved.

Dorian had watched as the sandstorm receeded and the mini guardians expelled from Naboris. He watched as the tiny barely visible figure leapt into action almost immediately ( _of course she would_ , he thought numbly, _that's just how she was_ ). Even now, he was still as numb as ever as the Hylians from Kara Kara Bazaar leapt into the fray, a shot of blue energy hitting one of the guardians, destroying it on impact, before being joined by the Gerudo soldiers and Hyrulean army from Akkala. That last one made him frown, even with how numb he still felt. They'd come all this way from Akkala, for what?

Surely they would know how little they could actually individually do against the Calamity. They were all just delaying the inevitable at this point. Dorian sighed as he continued to watch the two figures fight.. Link and the malice infused Gerudo Champion. Only the Hero could save Hyrule. Dorian had resigned himself to this fact, absolutely.

When he heard the loud cry.. shriek.. roar from the other Divine Beasts, he felt _nothing_. It didn't matter how many things the Calamity threw at the Hero. They.. _she_ would rise above it, time and time again.

"A spiral throughout history.." Dorian murmured, reopening his grey eyes as he looked out towards the desert. "The Spirit of the Hero, the Blood of the Goddess and the Reincarnation of Hatred, forever destined to clash in a cycle with no end."

Dorian still remembered the first time Kohga had shown him those ancient books in his quarters and the crude translations he had made of the texts within. Apparantly Kohga had taught himself how to use the specialised rune magic locked away inside them, after his father's untimely death not long after the Great Calamity's attack one hundred years ago. There were other runes too, more complicated runes that Kohga had never figured out. After Dorian had been chosen to become the new Master, he had asked to borrow them and Kohga had gladly lent them to him, and so he had studied over the texts constantly, managing to figure out both stasis and bomb magic by himself. He had never been able to fit their magic into their specialised Yiga talismans, having to force the pure magic out of his own body and after a lifetime of using talismans, it had been more difficult then he could have ever imagined.

But that passage near the front of one of the first books.. 'The Spirit of the Hero, the Blood of the Goddess and the Reincarnation of Hatred'.. for some reason that passage had stuck with him the most. He hadn't really had much context for it at all, at least until he had met Link. And then later, when he had met with her grandmother in Lurelin and learned the history of their family. Four individuals, all named Link, three of which had died in tragic circumstances. And there had been more too, according to Aryll. It was a family tradition that had lasted hundreds if not thousands of years, to name the firstborn child Link.

( _"Neither me nor my son never had any creativity when it came to things like this." Aryll sighed softly as Dorian sat in their home in his disguise magic (it wasn't anything special, just himself as how he would have looked had he stayed in Kakariko.. minus his malice burn of course, just a simple mass displacement spell just to make himself appear much shorter as well as giving himself the Sheikah clothing that was traditional in Kakariko.. that he too had once worn) holding the mug of warm milk she had given him. He sipped at the milk and nodded at her words as she continued._

 _"He told me once in a letter they had been undeciscive for sometime on which name they should choose. Dora.. my son's wife, had a name picked already, but they ended up choosing Link." The elderly woman sighed, "..To be honest, I wish they hadn't. I feel like that name ended up choosing her future for her." Aryll shut her eyes, a painful look crossing her face, "Perhaps I shouldn't have called my son that name either."_ )

Dorian couldn't cry anymore. He felt like he had cried enough in the infirmary. He looked out miserably at the battle unfolding before him. Names.. he'd never really given them much of a thought before. As Yiga Clan members, your name was worthless and meaningless. Something to seperate you from the other trainees temporarily until you recieved your mask and become part of something much greater then each individual person: the Clan and the goal to serve the Great Calamity until the day you perished from this world.

When he met Kiyah for the first time in Faron, he had given her his partner's name instead. Then he had been forced to go to that mission in Kakariko, and his own name had meant to little to him at that point, that he had given it to them freely.. until he had met Kiyah again. He still remembered the horror he had felt after he was introduced to all the villagers, recognising her still from all those years ago. Dorian hadn't expected to meet her again (she had said she lived in Hateno after all) but apparantly after her father had passed, she had moved to Kakariko permanently.

( _"So.." Kiyah had said, cooly when the two of them were seperate from the other villagers, "Which is your real name? Bant or Dorian?"_ )

His name had meant nothing to him. But she had made it _mean_ something. His name spoken from her lips would lift his heart even in his most darkest days.. even back then that night in Kakariko, hearing her speak his name after all those years he had been gone.. it had made his heart twinge a little, even if only for a moment, before he played the role of the big bad blademaster he had come to accept once more. It had made him understand why the other races clung to their names so desperately and even more so why the Yiga Clan dissuaded them from keeping theirs.

But Link's name.. a name steeped in pain and the burdens passed down through history.. Dorian chuckled despite himself, "You really never had a choice did you Link?" looking down at the battlefield before him, he smiled weakly, "You and your ancestors.. a Link in a Chain of aptly named Links, a spiral throughout history with no end.." Dorian shrugged despite himself, "And so I accept it. I accept your role in history, even though you're doomed to suffer because of it." he sighed bitterly, "I even accept that pitiful Goddess too, even though she put you on this path."

( _"You shouldn't."_ )

Dorian jolted as a voice entered his thoughts that wasn't his own and grabbed his windcleaver, standing up and turning sharply around, looking around the rock he was sitting on, raising it up defensively. He couldn't see anyone. "Who.." Dorian muttered quietly, "Who's there?"

( _"Put your weapon down descendent. I can't hurt you like this."_ )

 _Descendent_.. Dorian's eyes narrowed a little. "You're the voice that tried to have me killed through Link's body."

( _"I am. And you really should stop talking out loud. Will your voice to me and I will hear it. There is no need for words between us."_ )

Dorian took in a deep breath as he lowered his windcleaver, shutting his eyes, focusing on the voice. The rock he was standing on seemed to melt away as in the darkness of his closed eyes, a figure seemed to materialize. A person.. no.. a _corpse_ (a ReDead?), with a Sheikah eye covering on their face and one of those special Sheikah hats similiar to Impa's back in Kakariko. Dorian frowned as he concentrated on the figure. A.. monk?

( _"That's right. I'm a Sheikah monk, one of the protecters of the shrines we created ten thousand years ago in preparation for the Hero who was destined to defeat the foretold Calamity."_ | Dorian frowned more. | _"How am I talking to you like this? I don't have that Sheikah slate."_ | _"You can thank Link for that. She saved you with a piece of magic that was gifted to her a while back. Technically I shouldn't be able to use this connection, but I've hijacked it so I could speak with you."_ | Dorian remembered. She said that sometime after the Spring of Courage she was gifted something that helped her see through and even use Yiga magic herself. | _"Yes. It was gifted to her by my sister.. the first ancestor who created the Yiga Clan ten thousand years ago."_ | Dorian startled as his eyes opened again, looking around the rock once more. He couldn't see the monk anymore, but he could still feel it's presence near him. | _"Why would the first ancestor gift the Hero anything? The Hero is the enemy of the Yiga Clan."_ | The voice sighed. | _"The Yiga Clan.. or rather the Sheikah and the lineage of the Heroes were allies. But you already knew that didn't you descendant, since you already know about the Zonai."_ | The Zonai?! Dorian's mind reeled with shock. | _"Hm.. strange. I thought you knew about it already. You mentioned back in that fight about Link's ancestors."_ )

"I.." Dorian stammered a little, unsure about this revelation. It didn't make any sense to him. The Zonai.. were Link's ancestors? The lineage of the Hero.. who were also the Yiga Clan's allies who were wiped from history by the Royal Family? Why would the Royal Family wipe out the lineage of the Heroes?

( _"I knew about Link's immediate family from her grandmother. I was also told that that there were others before them, that the tradition to name the firstborn Link had been passed down for centuries."_ | _"Correct. It's a Zonai tradition. There were a lot of children named 'Link' back then, even if they were not destined to become the Hero themselves."_ | The voice had a deadpan feeling attached to it. | _"You mentioned you knew more of those Heroes during the fight."_ )

"I.." Dorian almost felt embarassed, as he sighed, "I was bluffing."

( _"You were--"_ | the voice laughed outloud as Dorian felt the heat rise in his cheeks. | _"You damned fool, of course you're Chi's descendent. That's exactly the kind of thing she would do too, to get an advantage during a fight."_ | Dorian frowned. Who was Chi? | _"It matters not. What matters now is your devotion. You opened your heart to the Goddess, however briefly, and in turn, I responded."_ | Dorian crossed his arms. | _"The Goddess didn't give Link the Sheikah slate. **You** did."_ | _"That is true, but Link is the Goddess's chosen vessel, the Hero reborn, and so I am just a pawn, a conduit of her will so to speak."_ | Dorian shut his eyes. None of this was making any sense to him. | _"Sounds like an excuse to me."_ | He had the person responsible for sending Link out on this perilous journey right in front of him, and despite himself, his anger was returning, if even just a little. | _"Did the Goddess tell you about Link?"_ | _"The Goddess.. gave me a vision of a time when a Hero would return to save Hyrule."_ | _"No, that's not what I asked. Did the Goddess tell you about her? About Link, the girl from Lurelin Village?"_ | _"..No. We were told that a tragedy, a future of ruin would occur, and that a Hero would be born from it's ashes."_ | _"And was that Hero her?"_ | _"..No. It was supposed to be her uncle."_ )

Dorian choked. Her _uncle_?! The one who perished in the castle?! "And what of her?" he spoke quietly as his anger bloomed inside him, "What.. was she just _not supposed to be born_?!" The voice didn't respond, but Dorian already knew the answer and the anger threatened to choke him with it. "So let me get this straight.." he spoke as quietly as possible, "you monks had a vision ten thousand years ago from some Goddess long gone from this world, and even knowing the destruction and devestation it would cause, all the lives that would be lost, you still shut yourself away from the world and didn't even _try_ to stop it?"

( _"It was.."_ | the monk was struggling with it's voice | _"the Goddess' will. Through her chosen Hero--"_ )

"Her 'Chosen Hero' is a _child_." Dorian spat, "Her previous Hero was a seventeen year old boy who would have lost all his friends, his entire family, and even his own _memories_ , his whole life gone in an instant, for her _will_."

(The voice sighed. | _"So that wasn't a bluff then. You really know about the Shrine of Resurrection."_ )

"Yes I know about the Shrine of Resurrection." Dorian's hands tightened into fists, "I discovered it in Kohga's books. And the 'prophecy' tied with it. That didn't come true by the way."

( _"Maybe not in this life.."_ )

"That's not the point. Whether it be Link or her uncle." Dorian looked over his shoulder, at the two figures still fighting together in the desert, "You still dedicated yourselves to this prophecy of ruin, you waited for it to happen and didn't even try to stop it. You could have warned us, you could have _done_ something, _anything_."

( _"..My sister did. That's why she created the Yiga Clan."_ )

Dorian scoffed. "Don't give me that nonsense. The Yiga Clan were created to destroy the Royal Family and serve the Great Calamity."

( _"Yes and no. Have you ever thought about them, those eight statues in your hideout descendant? Why do you think they're there?"_ )

Dorian burrowed his eyes a little. Those statues.. "They're the Seven Heroines.. or the Eight Heroines I guess, even if one of them was removed from the Gerudo history books. The Gerudo tribe worship them instead of the Goddess."

( _"And why do you think that is? Why is it that every tribe in Hyrule worships the Goddess except for the Gerudo?"_ )

"How should I know?" Dorian spat, turning over his shoulder, even though the figure was long gone from his eyes, "How about instead of trying to get me to figure things out, you just tell me?"

(The voice sighed. | _"Very well. The Eight Heroines were based on a myth in time immemorial. They were a group called the Seven Sages who banished an ancient evil from this land."_ | The voice made a contemplative humming noise. | _"Although I suppose that never really happened in this timeline, did it? Either way, their legend was passed down through the person who remembered them. The Gerudo in turn, looked at an actual group of people who had supposedly actually saved Hyrule, instead of the Goddess forgotten by time and chose to worship them instead, gifting their Heroines with skills they thought befitting of Gerudo Heroines."_ )

Seven Sages.. but Eight Heroines.. "Who was the Eighth?"

( _"The Legendary Hero."_ | the voice sighed. | _"That is why their sword is lost. For it is said that the Hero will never fully reunite with the sword, always placing it back in it's pedestal when the job of protecting Hyrule is done, waiting for the next Hero who will take the sword."_ )

Dorian shut his eyes, remembering Kiyah's stories her father told her about the Legendary Blade. It actually made sense. It made _so_ much sense. "So that's why the Yiga Clan chose this area for their hideout? Because the Zonai and the Yiga Clan were allies."

( _"..Among other reasons."_ | the voice let out a cough as he shifted from the conversation. | _"Either way, the Zonai and the Ancient Sheikah were allies in trying to figure out how to stop the ancient evil that was destined to be reborn time and time again. But when the Sheikah moved away from that and started developing technology for personal use for the Royal Family, the Zonai, the ancient line of Heroes revolted. By studying the history of Hyrule that has existed since time immemorial, they correctly prophesised that doing so would cause another Calamity and that the Royal Family would force the Sheikah to turn the Divine Beasts they created into weapons to stop it."_ )

Dorian's hands tightened into fists, "What happened to the Zonai?"

( _"The Royal Family banished most of them from Hyrule. Only the direct line of Heroes were allowed to stay and moved directly to Castle Town, and their culture and history was assimilated into Hylian culture at large."_ )

Calamity.. Dorian covered his mouth with one of his hands. An entire culture and history lost because of the Royal Family's narcissim. Not to mention what had happened to his _own_ people. No wonder why his ancestors _despised_ them.

( _"My sister never forgave herself for that. She lived with that guilt until the day she died."_ )

"Why are you telling me all this?" Dorian struggled with himself as he trembled, "If you're trying to get me to leave the Yiga Clan you're doing a _horrible_ job at it. All you're doing is giving me more reasons to hate the Royal Family and the Goddess. I thought you _worshipped_ her."

(The voice continued. | _"The Zonai and the Yiga Clan, they wanted to leave a warning for the future. The Zonai in the form of a tapestry hidden in the Spring of Courage. That's why my sister possessed your body back then, to force you to attack the Goddess Statue, which revealed the tapestry to Link."_ )

Dorian jolted. _That_ was what that had been at the Spring of Courage?!

( _"And as for the Yiga Clan.."_ | the voice sighed. | _"My sister wrote special books that containted as much of the history of Hyrule we were able to gleam, written in our ancient language passed down through her descendents. However when our ancient language became obsolete, so too were those books. They were forgotten, mistranslated and recontextualised time and time again, creating the Yiga Clan that now exists today."_ )

Dorian covered his eyes with his hands, trembling heavily. "The Yiga.. was created to _stop_ the Calamity, not serve it?"

( _"Your clan was created to remember the Calamity as what it was before it became the Calamity and to leave warnings for the future. About what happens when you put your trust and faith in a Goddess and Royal Family that cares nothing for you and will drop you the moment you stop being useful to them."_ )

The voice was calm and collected, even as it spoke such seemingly treasonous words and Dorian was constantly stunned by the revelations coming from it.

( _"I.."_ | the voice spoke almost too quietly. | _"I too have been living with regrets for ten thousand years, just like she did. I was just doing my job, what the Royal Family and the Goddess asked of me, but instead I just made everything worse. And then waiting for a Hero that never arrived, from a vision I likely only imagined in my mind out of my own grief, and calling out for Link because she was the only option I had left, which in turn caused her more suffering and grief."_ | The voice chuckled miserably. | _"I can't believe I'm going to say this.. but my sister was right."_ )

"What.. what are you saying?"

( _"There's nothing wrong with wanting to be a Hero descendant.. no, Dorian. There isn't always going to be one after all, so what do we just sit around and let evil win? Because fate's chosen Hero wasn't there at that exact moment? Look at them out there, Gerudo and Hylians and others too.. fighting back for their own land, for the future they believe in. How could I take that from them just because they're not part of the Hero's lineage."_ )

"Wait.." Dorian's eyes narrowed slightly, "so you _want_ me to go help her now? What changed? Why now?"

( _"Does it matter? I am offering my services to you. With the magic you were gifted your own runes will be so much more powerful, I believe you will be the key to getting Link into Naboris and purifying the Gerudo Champion."_ )

"What about the Yiga Clan? They're still loyal to the Calamity. I can't betray them, to do so would put Kakariko and my family in danger."

(The voice sighed. | _"Tell me Dorian, do the Yiga Clan know about your family?"_ )

"No.."

( _"And are you going to tell them?"_ )

"Of course not!"

( _"Being a Hero.. means making sacrifices for the greater good. You already mentioned you were likely never going to see them again. At least, for now, until we can deal with the Yiga Clan, you will have to distance yourself from Kakariko to protect them. Can you do that Dorian?"_ )

Dorian smiled. He raised his eyes to the battleground in front of him. Oh Calamity, Goddess, or whatever, he was actually going to do this. He was leaving the Yiga Clan for good this time. His heart actually felt light. _Good riddance._ "Yes. I've been doing exactly that for the past almost seven years after all."

( _"Good. Then I've got something for you. It's imperitive that you give it to Link once you reach the battlefield. Reach out your hands."_ )

Placing his windcleaver back to his side, Dorian reached out and suddenly his face felt warm as energy filled him, not unlike his own rune magic. What _was_ this?

\---

On the Great Plateau, buried deep underground in the Shrine of Resurrection, the Sheikah monk raised his hand, disabling the protective barrier around his corpse as he walked forwards into the Final Trial and towards the elevator. Tapping the pedestal, the ancient elevator activated, raising him back to the main area of the chamber and he approached the bed in the center where a figure was in deep sleep.

"Not much longer to go now, is it?" the monk murmured, reaching out his hand towards the blue glowing lights and watching the blue liquid as it swam around the figure, concentrating his own energy around the swirling energy that even now existed inside and surrounded the figure. "Oh Goddess." the monk spoke out, regretfully, "I apologise for what I am about to do, but let it be known I am only doing this to save your Hero.. and this fair land of Hyrule."

\---

Dorian shuddered as a bright golden glow pierced the sky around him and he shut his eyes from the intensity of it. Below him he could hear the confused shrieking of the Yiga Clan members who had been swarming around the entrance to watch the chaos of the battlefield, despite being miles away from them (his senses were more alive then he could ever remember them being in his life) and he reopened his eyes, even as he still winced from how intense the glow was, spotting in front of him.. Dorian gasped. He knew what this was. "Where did you _get_ this?"

( _"There's no time to explain. You need to move quickly. Now, before the rest of the Yiga Clan figure out what's going on."_ )

Dorian took the item in front of him, and almost staggered. It looked so light, but it was so _heavy_ to him. Is this what Link felt, carrying that Blade that Seals the Darkness? Or was it just because he wasn't the destined Hero that it felt so much heavier to him. Looking down at the battlefield, he frowned.

"How do I get there? I know you said my magic would be stronger, but Yiga magic.. we can only teleport to the paths around Hyrule where travelers walk."

( _"Hm.. yes that makes sense. Hidden beneath the paths of Hyrule, the paths that even existed ten thousand years ago, is an abudence of ancient Sheikah energy. You tap into that energy with your teleport rune talismans in order to move around Hyrule quickly. But Dorian.. ten thousand years ago, we Sheikah were **so** much stronger then you are today. Activate your power and **feel** all of Hyrule beneath you."_)

Dorian's face seemed to get warmer as he concentrated on the magic in his chest and suddenly.. he was able to feel it just like the monk had said. The entirety of Hyrule. The Sheikah energy.. no, the energy of all of Hyrule, right below the ground. It was honestly a little overwhelming. It was like he could feel all of it at once, from the warmth of Lurelin's beaches to the south east of Faron, to Akkala's gentle winds to the north east, to the cold mountainous north west of Hebra and the desert sands that he was so used to here in the south west. And in the center.. Dorian shuddered. He could almost _feel_ the entire destruction and weight of Castle Town and the presence of the Great Calamity. No, he shook his head, focusing on Link's figure. He had to focus on the battle here and now. Dorian focused his teleport talismans.. and teleported away from Kurasa Valley for the last time.

\---

Mipha screamed out as she desperately pressed her hands to the flickering blue and orange furnace. Near her Sidon was looking outside the Divine Beast as they charged forwards into the desert sands. "Ruta, _stop_!" Mipha cried out, as she tried to reach to the spirit in her Divine Beast. Ruta wasn't made for traversing the sands, and it's legs were getting stuck in the sand, even as it still tried to move forwards towards the battle happening in front of them. Then she heard it. The voice of the original pilot.. the ancient Sheikah spirit.. loud and booming and so unlike how it usually was.

( _"INTRUDER WHO IS NOT OUR PILOT DETECTED. EXPELLING INTRUDER IMMEDIATELY."_ )

"Sidon--!" Mipha looked back at him with terrified yellow eyes, trying to warn him, but it was already too late, as a flood of water went through Ruta, and the entrance was opened. Sidon screamed out, and the siblings were seperated, Sidon falling to the sands below before the entrance locked behind him again, trapping Mipha alone in the Divine Beast.

\---

Daruk grit his teeth. They were stuck inside and he couldn't even get to the furnace on Rudania's back right now. He had no _idea_ what was happening out there, the interior darkness of Rudania was something that hadn't helped much when it came to figuring this ancient tech out, but thanks to his friend Link's help (the cool blue torches helped too) it was something that he had evantually gotten used too. Behind him, Yunobo was pacing around worriedly. The kid had even tried connecting to the energy himself earlier and even though it had been an abjact failure, Daruk was still proud of him for trying. Daruk had even lent the kid his own Boulder Breaker just incase, and the kid had it equipped on his back now.

Daruk yelled out suddenly, feeling Rudania take a sudden tumble as he and the Divine Beast fought for control. "Hold on kid!" they must have been at a mountain, and the ancient Divine Beast was collapsing down it, not unlike what had happened at Death Mountain and Skull Lake. For what felt like ages, Rudania continued to tumble, until finally they were still, but upside down. Yunobo sighed out, "Don't think I'm ever gonna get used to that, goro."

Daruk laughed despite himself. Wherever they were they seemed to be stuck good. Now, he just had to open the entrances and get back to the furnace. Then he heard it. The ancient Sheikah voice, shrill and loud, and he tried to get up, rushing to Yunobo's side but it was too late. The hole on the back of Rudania snapped open and Yunobo was expelled from the Divine Beast, the entrance immediately locking behind him, leaving Daruk alone inside Rudania.

\---

Revali desperately focused on the furnace in front of him, however it was an uphill struggle from the start. Medoh wouldn't listen to him _at all_ as it continued south of Hyrule. He had figured out they were moving to the desert a while back, Teba had all but told him so, and the other Rito was clinging desperately to one of the pillars, trying to stay on Medoh as the winds intensified around the Divine Beast. Teba staggered back and even Revali staggered himself, before slamming his wing back down on the furnace's pedestal. No, he wasn't going to be beaten by his own damn Divine Beast.

"Master Revali!" Teba called out and Revali's head shot up to the white feathered Rito. Teba was frantically clinging to the top of the pillar, just barely holding on and Revali watched as his Falcon Bow fell from his wings, the winds sending it shooting high into the sky, before it fell to the desert sands below. _Teba.._ Revali's own free wing tightened around his Great Eagle Bow.

"Sorry Teba, but I think it's time for you to leave." Revali muttered, he could hear the voice of the Sheikah spirit now, getting louder and louder and Revali pulled the Great Eagle Bow from his back and rushed fowards, "TEBA!" the Rito looked back at him, just in time for Revali to launch a single bomb arrow, destroying the pillar. Teba yelled out as he went flying into the sky and Revali then hurled the bow at him.

"Master Revali!" Teba yelled out, desperately trying to fight back against the current as he reached out, grabbing Revali's bow with his own wing. It was heavier then he expected, but he somehow managed. 

Revali was speaking to him, "I need to stop Medoh from crashing into the desert or all those people down there will _die_."

Teba watched Revali stunned as the Rito Champion.. suddenly gave him a thumbs up with his wing. "You've got this Teba, if anyone can help Link it will be you." Revali grinned, "You're my rival after all, aren't you?"

Teba nodded despite himself and stopped fighting back against the current, descending down to the desert as he yelled behind him, "Fine, just don't _die_ Master Revali! You didn't come all this way just to die now, and.. you still owe a lesson to my boy Tulin and the rest of the Rito children!"

Revali nodded as he focused all his attention on the flickering orange and blue furnace in front of him. "Don't you worry about that, trust me, I have no intention of dying here."

\---

Link screamed out as she was thrown backwards into Riju and Patricia. She had had the advantage there for a while, but the moment the other three Divine Beasts had appeared, it was like Urbosa.. or the Calamity had gotten so much stronger. And Link thought she understood how. The Calamity.. was attempting to channel the energy of the furnaces through itself, just like she herself was. Link grit her teeth. Was it attempting to use the Divine Beast powers? Or the Champion's powers? Or was it's goal something else entirely? Urbosa was retreating back towards Naboris now, trying to level the playing field, focusing her attention solely on the threat of the Divine Beasts, two of which were stuck in the desert sands. Ruta had collapsed in the East Barrens, completely annihilating the Molduking that lived there in one blow, the body of the monstrous Molduga buried underneath the sand and Ruta itself whos legs were sunken into it. Rudania had followed a similar suit, on it's back and half buried in the sand near Champion's Gate, the three monster camps that had been there completely crushed beneath its back. Only Medoh still remained mobile as it flew around the the Gerudo Desert skies. Link desperately looked at them as their eyes frantically flickered between blue and sickly red.

The Hyrulean army and Gerudo soldiers were still fighting back against the mini guardian army, Beedle and Vilia seemingly leading the charge against them. Vilia had teamed up with the Gerudo soldiers who seemed all to happy to include her as one of them, while Beedle frantically fired ancient arrows in all directions (how many of those things did he even have? Seemed like he was never going to run out of them at this point). Buliara had tried to have Riju leave and head back to the town, but Riju hadn't budged. She was part of this now, and her little speech earlier would have been rendered moot had she retreated back to the safety of Gerudo Town. So along with Link, despite Buliara's worries, Riju had stayed as they looked at Urbosa who was retreating backwards further to Naboris.

Riju's arms tightened around Patricia. "How do we _get_ to her Link?" Link just smiled widely as Chi suddenly spoke to her, "Don't worry, I think we're getting help very soon."

"Link!" a voice suddenly cried out and Link looked up, startled, "Okay.. I know I said soon, but not that soon." her eyes widened as she realised who it was. Running up in the sands, waving at her, and panting heavily was _Sidon_.

"Prince Sidon?!" Link cried out, rushing forwards to him. Sidon gasped desperately for air, "Oh.. I knew the desert was going to be hot, but I wasn't expecting _this_." Link grabbed her slate immediately, pulling out a chilly elixir, "Here Sidon, drink this, it'll cool you down."

Sidon shuddered as he took the blue elixir, pulling the stopper and quickly chugging it. He took another gasp, "Goddess, that's better. I thought I wasn't going to make it back then when Ruta dropped me right there in the desert sands.

"You were in there?!" Link looked back to Ruta still a while away.

"LIIIIINK!!" another voice called out and Link's eyes widened again. Coming up right behind Sidon was _Yunobo_ except.. he didn't quite look like the Goron she had left in Skull Lake. Link pulled out another chilly elixir from her slate and Yunobo gasped as he took it from her, "Thanks Link."

"You're _huge_ now Yunobo." Link gasped and Yunobo shuddered as he drank the elixir, then looked down at his body. "Oh yeah.. I hit my Goron growth spurt last week." he puffed out his chest a little, "I'm now officially a Goron adult!"

"Congratulations Yunobo." Link smiled widely.

"Link!!" a third voice called out to her, and Link looked up. Flying down to them from above was Teba, a guilty look on his face. Ah. Link hadn't really spoken to him much even back in Rito Village. She assumed he had been avoiding her, feeling guilty for knocking her out back on Medoh. He had said goodbye when she left though, with her then new Hylian entourage. Despite that, Link pulled out a third chilly elixir, handing it to him and Teba stopped as he came to land in the sands, looking at her. Teba sighed regretfully, "You'd even give one of these to me, huh, after the way I treated you back in Rito Village?"

Link shrugged, "Doesn't matter. I know you were just trying to protect me. You're here now, and you're helping us with Naboris. I won't let you suffer here in the desert heat. Besides I have plenty." Teba sighed as he took the chilly eilixr, "..Thanks Link." and he chugged the whole bottle in one, sighing relived as the coolness hit him. "So Link, what's the plan?"

Sidon, Yunobo, Teba, Riju (and Patricia) as well as Link all looked back to the malice infused Gerudo Chief in front of them who had retreated all the way back to Naboris, and Link's hand tightened around the Sword that Seals the Darkness. "I need to get into Naboris so I can connect with the furnace, but Urbosa.. the Calamity I mean, it won't let me get anywhere near the Divine Beast." She frowned a little. Before, it almost felt like the Calamity _was_ trying to get her near Naboris. Or maybe it had just wanted to seperate her from the people so she could watch them all _die_ in front of her. Was the Calamity.. trying to break her?

"I could probably help with that." a deep voice spoke out from near her, and Link turned around as a swarm of Yiga talismans appeared. Immediately the others near were on alert, raising their weapons but Link rushed forwards in the deserts sand, uncaring as Dorian appeared, her blue eyes tearing up a little as she launched herself into his arms. "Dorian. You're _late_. What took you so long?"

Dorian sighed deeply, but smiled a little with his hands on her shoulders, "We don't have time for this Link. We can talk after the battle's done."

"Do you need a chilly elixir?"

"Link, I was the one who _taught_ you about elixirs. I'm fine. Here." another swarm of talismans appeared and Dorian passed over the heavy bow he had been given by the voice. Riju's eyes widened, "That's.." a golden curved bow that seemed to glow brightly.. "the Bow of Light?" she knew of it from her mother's stories, passed down from Chief to Chief through the history books in her room.

Link put her sword and shield on her back as she took the bow and Dorian watched as she didn't appear to struggle with it's heavyness it at all. He sighed as he looked up to see the Zora Prince staring at him, yellow eyes narrowed with suspicion as he had his two tridents raised up waringly. "Kass told me about you. You were with us back in Zora's Domain weren't you? You were disguised as that Hylian woman." his hands tensed on the tridents, "I.. was actually really tired that night after everything that happened. Once we reached Zora's Domain I almost passed out myself after that fight on Luto's Crossing. Back then, I almost took you up on that offer to have you take the guard shift."

Dorian chuckled, despite himself, "Well I'm glad you didn't. Otherwise you would have woken up in the morning and Link would have been _gone_."

All four of the race representatives tensed and lifted their weapons, but Link put herself between Dorian and them, raising her hands, "Please, I know I'm asking a lot of you to trust him, he's Yiga but.." Link looked back at Dorian over her shoulder, startling as she realised his eyes were glowing orange ( _Is that.. because of the magic I gave him?_ ) "Dorian's been lost and confused for a long time because of what the Yiga did to him. But he's here _now_ to help us, and I trust him with my life."

"Well, you didn't hurt anyone in the town." Riju murmured as she slowly lowered her tiny scimitar and shield, "We almost couldn't believe it when Buliara took a headcount and realised no-one had even been injured."

Dorian sighed, despite himself. He had been influenced by Link's actions back there too, hadn't he? The old him would have never purposefully done a mission like that, trying to avoid as much bloodshed as possible.

Link stepped forward, looking at Naboris with her blue eyes as she held the Bow of Light as the four representatives also looked towards the towering Divine Beast. "So, Dorian, you said you could help with me getting into Naboris?"

Dorian concentrated his magic, as a bomb made of rune magic appeared levitated slightly in his clothed hand. "I'll do exactly what I did to get into Gerudo Town. Plant bombs around Naboris and set them all off at once." he glanced at Link, his orange glowing eyes meeting her blue ones, "I've been researching the Divine Beasts for a while and I know all it's weak spots. My bombs are much more powerful now and the amount of rune magic expelled through them should be enough to weaken it enough for you to get inside." Dorian looked at the malice infused Champion in front of him.

Riju frowned, "How are you going to get around? Urbosa won't let you get anywhere near the Divine Beast." There were a handful of mini guardians around her still, protecting her from those in front of her.

Dorian just chuckled at that as he lifted two fingers of his free hand, summoning his teleport talismans to himself. "Don't you worry about that, I'll be constantly moving. I won't give her enough time to hit me." he concentrated his magic, visually seeing all the areas he needed to hit in his mind, "Link, I need you to be fully prepared. Once I start moving, I won't be able to stop. You'll have to use your teleport magic too once the entrance is open."

Link nodded sharply. "We'll give you cover." Sidon's hands tightened on the two tridents Ceremonial and Lightscale, as did Yunobo with the Boulder Breaker and Teba with the (almost too heavy) Great Eagle Bow. Riju looked at them as she glanced down at her tiny Gerudo scimitar and shield. She wished she had a cool weapon like those too and looked to Urbosa in front of her, still carrying the Scimitar of the Seven and the Daybreaker.

Dorian nodded, concentrating his magic from his chest.. and from Hyrule around him at large.. and teleported. The four representatives immidiately launched into action, leaping forwards at the mini guardians as Link concentrated on the Bow of Light she had been given, pulling the drawstring as an arrow made of pure light appeared. In front of her, she could see Urbosa's blue guardians eyes widen (distress? fear?) as she moved backwards, closer to Naboris.

Teba was the quickest, he flew into the air, loading three arrows (he wanted to use bomb arrows, but they would have been too heavy for the already heavy bow) into the Great Eagle Bow as he fired down on three mini guardians near him, aiming for the eyes. The left and right guardian staggered as they were hit, but the center one was just barely missed as it fired it's laser at him. Teba quickly dodged the laser, flying around the guardian as he loaded another three arrows. He let out a Revali sounding 'tsk' as he repraminded himself, ( _Come on Teba! You're supposed to be Revali's rival, he would have never slipped up like that._ ) and dove at the guardians again.

Sidon rushed forwards in the desert sands towards two mini guardians of his own, slashing his two tridents vertically down their heads, right through the eye as they staggered backwards. He rose his head to the East Barrens where Ruta was half buried in the sands and his yellow eyes were taut with worry. ( _Sister.. I hope you're alright in there. Don't worry, I'm doing everything in my power out here to finish this battle so we can be reunited again. You keep fighting too!_ ) his hands tightened on the tridents as the two guardians regained their footing, looking back at him as he moved forwards again.

Yunobo gasped as he came face to face with one singular mini guardian that had become seperated from the group. His legs trembled heavily, but he lifted the Boulder Breaker up regardless as he let out a shaky yell and charged forwards.

( _"Can I try picking it up?" the younger Yunobo, who hadn't yet hit his growth spurt, asked as he eyed the Boulder Breaker, the the two of them standing on top of Rudania a few months back, as Daruk kept patrol over Death Mountain. Daruk looked over at him, his dark blue Goron eyes wide, "You can certainly try kid. But I don't think you're going to be able too, the Boulder Breaker is very heavy, too heavy for a Goron child."_

 _He placed the Boulder Breaker down on Rudania's back and Yunobo swallowed nervously, stepping towards it and reaching for the hilt. He lifted and winced. It was the heaviest thing he had ever tried to lift. He could barely put his hands around the hilt itself. Daruk roared with laughter and Yunobo looked embarassed, "Don't worry about it kiddo." the Goron champion reached down, easily lifting the Boulder Breaker as he almost effortlessly leaned its entire weight on his back. "When I first met you, you would have been way too scared to ask me something like that. Look at you now, you're getting better every day. You even come out with me on Rudania to patrol Death Mountain." Daruk looked at him, smiling widely, "I'm really proud of you Yunobo.. kid.. **grandson**."_)

Yunobo grit his teeth, that memory blazing through him, as he slammed the entire weight of the Boulder Breaker into the mini guardian, practically _launching_ it out backwards into the desert sands around them and gasped at the sheer strength of the weapon in his now larger hands. Near him, Sidon whistled appreciately and he saw Teba above him give him a thumbs up with his wing, "Nice work Yunobo!" And Sidon called out as the two returned to their own fights, "Keep it up, I believe in you!" Yunobo just nodded sharply as he launched himself for the next mini guardian.

In front of all of them, Riju sand surfed on Patricia going around in a half circle as she charged right for Urbosa herself. With the other three taking on the mini guardians, the malice infused Champion was completely by herself. And Urbosa.. she was still looking at Link. She was _distracted_. Riju steered Patricia right behind Naboris and under the legs of the Divine Beast as she headed right for Urbosa's back, eyeing the weapons she was still carrying as Link fired an arrow of light right into the sands in front of her feet, stopping her from moving forward and forcing her backwards even more.

( _Now!_ )

Riju leapt from the shield, reaching out and grabbing the Scimitar of the Seven, ripping it from Urbosa's hand even as she winced in pain as the dripping malice touched her own skin. She jumped back to Patricia, the Scimitar now proudly in her own hand as she surfed around again, looking for another opening. Urbosa's blue guardian eyes were now focused on her, the Gerudo Chief desperately trying to follow her to retrieve the weapon but thanks to Patricia, Riju was faster.

"Not so fast. Did you really forget that I'm here?" Link whispered quietly, releasing another arrow of light warning shot right at Urbosa's feet and the Gerudo Chief staggered backwards, glaring viciously back at her. The anger radiating from the Calamity was overwhelming, almost like it was back at Rudania on the night of the blood moon. It was completely overtaking even Urbosa's denial.

She could feel it now. The Champion's strong emotions through the slate. Mipha's depression, Daruk's anger, Revali's bargaining (from him blaming himself) and Urbosa's denial. It was trying to take the other three freed Champions over again with it's own malice, to use them as warriors in this fight. It had been trying to take over the spirits at first.. just like Kass had said back at Gerudo Canyon Stable, but something was preventing the Calamity from doing just that. Another presence, fighting alongside them.. the voice that had spoken through her earlier. But she could also tell the three Champions were still fighting in their Divine Beasts, with their own willpower alone, and the knowledge that they were all in this together. Even now, Link tried to will her thoughts to them, to tell them to keep fighting, and that their successors were fighting alongside them. She dearly hoped they could hear her thoughts, trapped in their own Divine Beasts.

Link released another arrow of light and Urbosa staggered backwards as Riju came up behind her again on Patricia. ( _Go Riju!_ ) "Go go go!!" Yunobo. "You can do it!" Teba. "I believe in you!" Sidon. Riju leapt from Patricia, using the hilt of the scimitar, shoving it into Urbosa's hand and the Gerudo shrieked out as she dropped the Daybreaker shield, staggering backwards as Riju lifted it from the sands, rushing back forwards to Link on Patricia.

Urbosa panted heavily, her blue guardian eyes frantic as the five of them grouped together again. Riju leapt from Patricia, hugging her beloved sand seal as she gasped for breath, with the Scimitar of the Seven and the Daybreaker next to her. "Thank you so much Patricia, you really are the best sand seal ever. You can go back to Gerudo Town now." The sand seal seemed to incline it's head towards her slightly before it charged off, back to the town. And Link's hand tightened around the Bow of Light as all of them held the Champion's weapons for the final assault. This was it, the final push to get inside Naboris. "It's all up to Dorian now."

Above all of them, Dorian was leaping from each part of the Divine Beast as he remembered all the weak spots. Naboris' feet were the main ones, but the internal mechanisms in Naboris' legs, neck and the tops of the two humps on it's back could be weakened too, given enough energy. He teleported around the Divine Beast frantically, gaining speed with each and every teleport as the guardian lasers aimed for him. He had already planted a bunch of of bombs, placing them in every weak spot he could find, but it wasn't enough. They needed _more_.

It was strange. He had abandoned the mask Kohga had given him back at Birida Lookout. But he found it didn't really need it anymore. That _thing_ wasn't his face anymore. Most likely, they had found it by now, to invistigate the strange light that had been expelled from the Bow of Light, but they weren't going to get here in time. Even if they did, the Yiga Clan would be wholly unmatched against the Gerudo and Hyrulean armies. And Link, and the Champion's representatives down below.. and himself too of course. The Yiga Clan wouldn't be able to get everyone Kohga kicked out of the hideout, the footsoldiers and blademasters, back in time. Dorian had brought his windcleaver with him just in case, but it was back there with Link at the moment. It would just get in his way right now. Faster and faster he continued to teleport, thankful with each passing moment that Link had granted him this magic back in the hideout. The ancient Sheikah really were more powerful then he could have ever guessed. He didn't even feel _tired_. That was probably because of his own Sheikah physiology. Even now he looked down at Link below him.. seeing her partially white Sheikah hair, which seemed to get a little bit more whiter the more he looked and his heart _hurt_. "Why is that happening to her monk?"

(The Sheikah monk hesitated. | _"You already gussed it back there didn't you Dorian? She's bonded to the Divine Beasts and their Champions through the device I gave her.. that overwhelmingly powerful device, the first one of its kind ever created, that should have never been out in this world. Would have never been in this world if our original prophecy had come true."_ | the voice sighed. | _"These Champions.. the spirits in their Divine Beasts holds the majority of the power needed to pilot them through their original Sheikah magic. They in turn bond with their new Pilots through a deep spiritual connection. That is why only someone with a powerful soul can pilot the Divine Beast, allowing that connection alone to pilot the Divine Beast, to such a degree that any new Pilots not even need to be Sheikah themselves."_ )

Dorian swallowed painfully. "But Link doesn't have a spirit like that."

( _"No. She probably assumed I am.. since I am able to possess her body through it, but I am just a monk. I cannot provide that kind of connection she needs to channel the furnaces energy through her body."_ )

"Link's.. doing that all by herself?" Dorian felt _stunned_.

( _"She is. Every day she surprises me with how much Sheikah magic she can do. I wondered back then, if she had some Sheikah blood in her, possibly through her mother's family, as it most certainly would have not come from her father's side."_ )

Dot.. Dorian thought of the Hylian Yiga medic back in the base. The elderly brown skinned green eyed Hylian was _also_ able to use Yiga teleport magic, after years and decades of practice. Kohga had even wondered if _he_ had some Sheikah blood in him, though the Hylian had never known much of his own family ancestry, being someone who was born early on in the age of burning fields. Dot's original brown hair had never turned white though, at least not until he was older and his hair starting turning the same shade of white (different shade then a Sheikah's natural white) that all Hylian's hair turned. Not like it mattered though, since Dot, like all Yiga would dye their hair black.

"What's going to happen to her?" Dorian asked. The voice struggled with itself for a moment, silent. " _Monk_." Dorian felt the panic rise in him, "Is she going to _die_?"

( _"No.. no. I would not allow that to happen."_ | the voice sighed as he spoke.. almost relunctantly. | _"There was a story in time immemorial about a Hylian who used Sheikah disguise magic to make themselves appear like a Sheikah."_ )

Dorian frowned. "I've heard about that story. The Rito bard's teacher, he was named after that individual. Although I think the Sheikah that are alive now believe it was an actual _Sheikah_ who helped that Legendary Hero."

( _"To be honest, I'm not sure how true that story could be. Maybe Hylians had a lot more magic back in those days? Either way, it's not unheard of for Hylians to use Sheikah magic.."_ )

"Monk. What's going to _happen_ to her?"

(The voice sighed. | _"Biologically, she will be no different from her Hylian and Zonai ancestors. If she were to have any children, they too would be Hylian. Physically though.."_ | the voice struggled with itself.)

"She's turning into a Sheikah _permanently_." Dorian felt _numb_. Her entire hair was going to turn white. Were her eyes going to turn red too? She would gain a longlived Sheikah life too. Would she outlive any Hylian children she had? "Does she know?"

( _"How do you tell someone that? It's because of me giving her the device that this happened. My sister's magic just made the effects more potent and visible."_ | the voice chuckled miserably. | _"It wasn't enough that I ruined one child's life with this magic, I had to ruin two didn't I? I suppose it's what I deserve.."_ )

Dorian frowned. What in all of Hyrule was this monk talking about? He continued to teleport around, planting as many bombs as possible. "Do you want me to tell her?"

( _"No. I've promised her answers after this is over, and I'm going to be the one to give them to her. She's done more then enough at this point to earn them.. to know the full truth about what happened."_ | the voice sighed. | _"Besides, she's going to need someone to help her through this afterwards.. once I'm gone from this world. I think it should be you.. and your family."_ )

Dorian looked up. "What are you saying? Link has family already, her grandmother back in Lurelin."

( _"And how much longer do you think that pureblood Hylian is going to live?"_ )

Dorian winced. It sounded cruel, but he was just being realistic.

( _"Besides are you telling me that after all that's happened, you don't see Link as part of your family?"_ )

Dorian sighed. "Kiyah probably does, that's just how she _is_. I know she'll gladly accept Link as if she was her own child. But I.. don't deserve that. I don't deserve the that family that's waiting for me back at home either, to be completely honest."

( _"What nonsense. Do you truly still believe that Yiga brainwashing now after all this time? After what I've told you?"_ )

"I may not be a monster through my blood.." Dorian sighed, "but through my actions--"

( _"You think you're the first Yiga who's ever defected?"_ | the monk mirrored the Rito's words back at the stable. | _"There were many before you.. there will be more after. They've all gone through what you're going through right now, struggling with their feelings against how they were raised to be."_ | the monk sighed. | _"Don't you think you've suffered enough as it is Dorian? When this is all over.. and the Calamity is finally gone from this world.. allow yourself to be happy for a change. Don't be a man wallowing in regrets.. like I was."_ | the monk actually chuckled a little. | _"Besides, you know Link wouldn't allow you to stay like that? She would chase you all across Hyrule to get you to come back to Kakariko. That little lover of yours too probably."_ )

Dorian chuckled, despite himself. "They would." Kiyah and Link.. they were so much alike. Kohga.. had told him he was a monster with malice running through his veins when he was six years old and he had _accepted_ it. That fated meeting and his upbringing had dictated his entire life. But Kiyah and Link too, had refused that notion. He was a person, who had done a lot of terrible things.. but a person none the less. Dorian grit his teeth, a person who was going to help Link get into the Divine Beast and then.. do whatever he could to support her as she went onto the Castle. No matter the cost.

Maybe.. once this was all over, he really _could_ return to Kakariko, the Sheikah would accept him once more.. and even Link could be there.. maybe she could even be part of his family, like the monk had said (as his third adopted daughter?). She would need someone to help her with her new powers after all, and who better then the once future leader of the Yiga Clan, probably the only person alive other then Kohga himself, who knew the most about this Sheikah and Yiga magic. Dorian smiled, he kinda liked that dream. Planting the last of the Sheikah bombs, Dorian gasped as a laser just barely missed his arm, teleporting back down to Link's side and the four representatives.

"Alright Dorian?" Link's blue eyes met his own orange glowing ones and the Yiga.. no _Sheikah_ nodded pressing his singed arm with his other free hand as he looked outwards towards the Divine Beast.

"Get ready Link, I'm about to set off the bombs. You'll only have a moment to get inside Naboris while Urbosa's distracted." Link placed the Bow of Light on her back, alongside the Sword that Seals the Darkness and the Dragon's Shield and pressed her hands together, her eyes fiercely glowing blue as she channelled Chi's Yiga magic inside her, focusing right on where the entrance was.

Beside him, Dorian watched the four representatives as they continued to fight against the guardians.. and the Gerudo and Hylians behind them still fighting the bulk of the guardians.. and found he suprisingly felt _pity_ for the Clan he had left behind. Here they were, all the races of Hyrule fighting for their land, for their future, while the Yiga Clan was truly lost and alone in their own misery and deluded ways.. and he too used to be part of that, didn't he? He looked to Link in front of him and wondered.. if she really _could_ save them. If anyone could, he truly believed it would be her. After all, she had saved him hadn't she?

Dorian raised his arm, taking a deep breath as he channeled the magic inside him.. and snapped his fingers. The change was immediate, all the bombs went off at once as smoke billowed out from the towering Divine Beast and Urbosa.. the Calamity.. let out a desperate screaming shriek, as the smoke consumed her malice form.

"Go, now Link!" Dorian and the other representatives yelled out their own words of encouragment as Riju clasped Urbosa's weapons tightly in her hands, "Save Lady Urbosa! We'll continue the fight out here!"

And Link teleported, right there into Naboris.

The Hylian girl gasped and shuddered as she reappeared right in the darkness of the Divine Beast. She had made it just in time, before the entrance snapped shut again behind her once more. Link quickly got up to her feet, rushing forwards into the darkness filled interior of the Divine Beast. And there it was.. the sickly red malice infused furnace right in front of her, visible still in the darkness. It was so quiet here inside the Divine Beast compared to how chaotic it had been outside.

Well, that was the easy part she guessed as she took the Sheikah slate from her belt. Gritting her teeth, Link approached the furnace and wondered what was going to await her here in the final furnace.. in Urbosa's memories. Link was ready. She was going to save Urbosa.. and if that _boy_ was waiting for her, she would confront him too.

"I'm ready. For both of you." and Link tapped the Sheikah slate to the furnace.


	25. Divine Beast Vah Naboris Part III - Gerudo, Hylian & Sheikah too

( _A Sheikah boy, probably around twelve to thirteen years old, was sitting on his bed, writing text into his parchments as he lay on his stomach in his bedroom deep underground the Great Plateau, humming softly to himself and rolling a lock of his white hair in his free hand as he wrote. There wasn't much in his tiny room, just the bed he slept on, a dresser for his clothing (all the same kind of Sheikah outfit that was traditional to his people) and a little table in the center of the room._

_On top of the table stood a framed photo, taken with the device his father and aunt had made when they were around his age. It was of seven people: himself (when he was around five to six years old), his father, his aunt and the other four Sheikah who lived with them underground.. those Sheikah who would one day become the pilots for the Divine Beasts his father was building right now. The boy's red eyes flickered over the photo and he put the quill he was using down as he moved to sit up, reaching over for the photo. Sitting on the edge of his bed, the boy's pale fingers gently touched the front of photo. His father was smiling in this photo as he held his son in his arms. His father almost never smiled now. Goddess, he never even really saw him anymore. The other four too as they had to finalise through the final stages of the massive technological creations the five were working on. The only one here who ever spent any significant time with him now was his aunt, and the boy's eyes moved over Chi's visage, frowning as he remembered the last time he had tried training with her._

_The boy placed the photo frame back down on the table as he looked down at his own hands once more. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he use even the basic magic that was supposedly stored in his own body? Gritting his teeth and tightening his fists, a strange pang of anger overwhelmed him all at once. He didn't have long to think about it though, before the door of his bedroom crashed open and the boy looked up, eyes wide as his father walked briskly into the room._

_"Father?" The older Sheikah man moved over to him, reaching out and roughly grabbing his wrist and he winced a little at how tight his grip was. "..Is something wrong?"_

_"I've heard from the others." his father spoke, coldly. "You left the Great Plateau the other day."_

_The boy's eyes widened as the anger in him dissipated and a feeling of guilt filled him. "I.." he looked to his side, ashamed, "I'm sorry.. I just wanted to see the Castle.."_

_"You can see the Castle just fine. Why would you need to leave the Plateau?"_

_"I wanted to see it up a little closer.." the boy murmured and his father's grip tightened on his wrist, making him shudder from the pain._

_"Those four said they found you in a group of bokoblins. You were **talking** to them." his voice was low, strained and the boy's eyes widened._

_He still remembered when the four of them had found him there. They had immediately leapt into action, raising their weapons and easily annihilating the monsters, even though he had been perfectly safe. He had thought monsters were aggressive creatures that attacked people whenever they had the oppurtunity, but they had never attacked him. It had been.. nice. Getting to talk to creatures that weren't the six Sheikah he had known his entire life. He had somehow even been able to understand their odd little chirps and chattering among themselves._

_"Was I.. not supposed to do that?" the boy muttered quietly. "They didn't hurt me.."_

_"They're **monsters**!" his father hissed, a wild almost desperate look in his own red eyes, "Are you a monster, boy?"_

_"No.." the boy swallowed, "I'm Sheikah."_

_"That's right. You're Sheikah." Before he knew anything more, the boy was being roughly pulled through their underground home back to the main entrance leading to the elevator that led to the main area of the underground chamber._

_"Father..!" the boy cried out, wincing in pain, "Where are we going?"_

_His father didn't respond and before he knew it, the boy found himself in front of a strange glowing blue bed. He.. remembered this. He'd been here before, but he didn't know why. His father was pushing him into the strange bed and tapping on the screen on in his device, and before he knew what was happening, the boy fell into unconsciousness as his memories of that event were wiped from him completely._ )

\---

The moment Link got into the Divine Beast, the already chaotic scene out seemed to get ten times _worse_. Urbosa.. the Calamity let out a desperate _shriek_ , and the Divine Beasts flickered even more rapidly between blue and red as tendrils of malice started to move from her form over the desert sands towards them from the smoke.

Dorian grit his teeth as he stepped backwards towards the four representatives and suddenly Riju let out a horrified gasp as she looked to where Link had been previously "No.." Sidon, Teba and Yunobo (as well as Dorian) followed her eyes, and horror went through all them. Next to them in the sands were Link's weapons: the Sword that Seals the Darkness, that strange golden shield with the Dragon patterns and even the Bow of Light that had been entrusted to Dorian to give to her by the monk. When she had teleported they hadn't come with her (that was why Dorian had to place the bow inside a talisman to teleport it safely when he had teleported to the battlefield earlier). Riju trembled as she put a hand to her mouth, "She's in there alone defenceless."

"She's not defenceless." Dorian said, his eyes glowing orange as he looked at the four, "Link has the Sheikah slate to defend herself if need be. It's very powerful, even if she doesn't have any actual weapons in it."

( _"And hopefully she won't need the weapons, at least not now."_ | the monk muttered to him, even though Dorian could sense it's worry. | _"Link's job now is to sort through Urbosa's memories, to give closure to her, and to free the corruption, the malice, clinging to her very spirit. Our job is to keep the Pilot distracted and far away from getting back inside Naboris."_ )

Dorian raised his eyes back to Urbosa. With his glowing orange eyes, he could see her form still even in all of the smoke that still billowed out of Naboris, desperately trying to get back to the Divine Beast, and Dorian started to focus on the magic in his chest. He would have to use stasis. He just hoped that it too had become more powerful thanks to this magic he had been gifted.

Teba was watching with wild eyes as a strand of that strange malice (the very malice that once covered Revali's entire body) moved upwards from the desert, into the sky and towards Vah Medoh that was still circling desperately around the desert and his wings tightened on the Great Eagle Bow. Medoh was the only one of three Divine Beasts not stuck in the sands. Revali was fighting the Calamity trying to possess the Divine Beast _and_ Medoh itself as he tried to stop it from crashing into the desert. Next to him, Sidon reached out placing a hand on Teba's shoulder, "You're worried about him, aren't you Teba?"

"Master Revali.." Teba's wings tightened ever more, "He was already exhausted from looking after the village before the Calamity attacked the Divine Beasts. He wasn't looking after himself at all because of what happened back there at Medoh." he dropped the Great Eagle Bow to his side in one wing as his free wing tightened into a fist. "Yeah. I'm worried about him."

"Don't be." Sidon spoke firmly, "All of the Champions.. they're not like us successors at all, they have such powerful souls that we can't even imagine. That's how they were able to bond with those Ancient Sheikah devices in the first place." Teba glanced at Sidon, their yellow eyes locking with each other, "I believe in my sister and the other Champions. They survived that awful possession for a century, I know in my heart they won't let this stop them. You can't help here if you're worrying about their safety. You just have to believe in Revali too!"

Believe in Revali.. Teba chuckled despite himself. That Rito was so stubborn.. hm, just like he was he supposed. He would probably be repraminding him right now if he knew what Teba was thinking ( _"What are you pitying me for Teba?" he could almost hear the Rito Champion's voice scolding him in his mind. "Worry about yourself before you worry about me."_ ) Teba looked to Sidon, "You're right.." he needed to believe in Link too, didn't he?

In front of them, the smoke was starting to clear and Urbosa was heading for the Divine Beast again, her blue eyes wild and Dorian rushed forward lifting one arm as he snapped his fingers, using stasis and freezing her in her tracks. Yunobo looked impressed, "Wow Master Yiga, that's so cool!"

Dorian winced at the title, "I have a name Yunobo, it's Dorian. You wouldn't like if I called you Master Goron would you?"

Yunobo let out a little hum, "No I guess not.."

Dorian raised his voice, "My stasis won't last for long and we have to stop her from getting back into the Divine Beast."

"Right." Yunobo and Sidon's hands tightened on their weapons as they charged forwards. Above them, Teba leapt into the sky, loading the bow with three arrows, and Riju was staying close to him. Dorian could feel the countdown ticking down and shuddered as the stasis finally released and he staggered back, his orange eyes glowing brightly. They had Urbosa surrounded now, Sidon and Yunobo in front blocking her passage towards the Divine Beast, and the others three behind.

Urbosa turned her head (right at Dorian, he realised with a start, the blue of her own eyes locked with the orange glow of his own) and before they knew what was happening, she was launching herself at the three of them instead and for..

"NO!!" Riju screamed, running forwards in the desert sands and grabbing the Dragon's Shield. Teba dove back down too, grabbing the Bow of Light even though he staggered backwards from the heavyness of both it and the Great Eagle Bow.

Yunobo and Sidon were trying to reach them, but they wouldn't make it in time. Dorian didn't even have to think twice as he teleported quickly, grabbing the hilt of the Sword that Seals the Darkness, snatching it from Urbosa's outreached grip (wincing as a little bit of the malice just touched his hand) and teleporting again as he lifted it up and moved backwards. If he had thought the Bow of Light was heavy before, the Sword was almost _staggeringly_ too much. He thought he had a pretty good amount of strength and the blade was so _small_ compared to some of the weapons he had seen in this land of Hyrule, but it was by far the heaviest thing he had ever carried.

Urbosa let out a guttural growl as the five of them surrounded her again and Dorian watched as the blade in his hand seemed to glow a deep blue to her presence, swallowing a little as he pulled the blade from the scabbard. Dorian was honestly surprised the blade wasn't hurting him right now (he remembered Kiyah's stories that her father had told her about the blade vividly), but apart from the heavyness, it just felt like any other blade. He watched as Urbosa bent back down to the sands before lifting up..

Ah. With everything that had happened, he had completely forgotten about his windcleaver and he shuddered as Urbosa lifted the blade right back up to him, Kiyah's blue cloth around its hilt completely submerged by the malice dripping from her arms. His eyes narrowed a little as his hands tightened on the blade. It was fine. He didn't need that cloth anymore. He was going to survive this battle.. and return to Kakariko (and Kiyah and Koko and Cottla) once more.

\---

( _Link gasped as she reopened her eyes._

_She was back in Gerudo Town in Riju's bedroom.. except it wasn't Riju's bedroom she was in at all as she looked at two young teenage girls sitting down on the bed, a bunch of old Gerudo books open as the Gerudo girl read from them. Urbosa.. Link stepped towards the bed, eyeing the younger version of the Gerudo Champion. And next to her, Link jolted as she spotted the blonde Hylian wearing royal blue. Was that.. Princess Zelda? She looked the spitting image of the Princess, but that couldn't be right. Zelda shouldn't have been born yet._

_Link stepped closer to the bed, noting her eyes. The Princess' eye colour in the memories she had seen so far was some sort of a mix of blue and green, while this girl's eyes were a deep resounding pure blue. So this was.. her mother?_

_"Zelda." Urbosa spoke and the Hylian girl looked at her. Urbosa had a sadened look on her face as her hands tightened around the book she was reading as she sank her green eyes into it. "Do you.. hate us Gerudo?"_

_Link jolted. **What?**_

_"Urbosa.." the future Queen of Hyrule sighed softly as Zelda placed her hand on her friend's arm. It seemed this was a conversation they had often. "I don't know how many times I have to tell you. You're my friend, and the Gerudo are our allies."_

_Urbosa looked positvely miserable as she looked outwards towards the history books on her bed. "But.. what if that were to change." her fingers tightened around her Gerudo clothing, "What if.. what if our tribe betrayed the Hylians? What if we joined the Yiga, o-or.." there were tears filling the young Gerudo's eyes and Zelda sighed as she brought Urbosa's hand to her own, gently kissing the skin of her palm, before bringing their foreheads together. "I don't believe that for a second. I know you worry about your people's future, but I promise, when I'm Queen you're the first one I'm going to have to join my Round Table."_

_"Even though I'm a Gerudo.."_

_The memory shifted and the younger Princess and Gerudo were at Castle Town, walking through the streets together and chatting amongst themselves. Near them however, Urbosa stopped as a group of Hylians were whispering amongst themselves, eyeing the Gerudo and Princess. Urbosa looked down to her hands, but the Princess reached out, smiling and touching her hand. The memory shifted again, to the two teenagers in Urbosa's room and Zelda touched her hand once more._

_"Don't listen to the gossip mongers Urbosa. No matter what happens, I will always trust and believe in the Gerudo's judgment. And yours." a look of determination passed Zelda's face, "There's no-one alive who knows more about the Calamity then your people after all."_

_The memory shifted a little later and Urbosa waved as the future Queen of Hyrule left the town with the Hyrulean soldiers who had been waiting outside for her to return. Behind her, a small Gerudo child who looked almost the spitting image of a younger Riju wearing the similar kind of fancy clothing that Riju and Urbosa wore had a wide grinning smile on her face._

_"You like her."_

_"Arula." Urbosa frowned, looking at her younger sister. "She's my friend. Of course I like her."_

_"No, I mean you **LIKE** like her."_

_Urbosa sighed as she crossed her arms, but Link noted the blush on her face. "Don't be ridiculous. She's going to be the Queen of Hyrule. Zelda's going to get married to a Hylian voe and have a vehvi to continue the Zelda dynasty." Urbosa clasped her hands together. "That's how it's always been and how it will always be."_

_"Yeah yeah." Arula pat her elder sister's back in a comforting way. "When are you going to find a nice voe of your own anyway big sister?"_

_Urbosa blanched. "Ugh, no thanks. Maybe I'll just stay single forever."_

_Arula cackled, "Or maybe there's a nice vai out there for you somewhere."_

_Urbosa whacked her sister's head gently, "Knock it off and get back to your studies, little brat." the tone was playful though and Arula just ran off, giggling._

_\---_

_Urbosa was older now, watching as the now older Queen Zelda and her consort, a man around her age with green eyes, long blonde hair and a thick beard wearing Royal Guard clothing with a Royal Claymore equipped to his back, exchanged their vows there in the sanctum. There was a small sad feeling eminating from Urbosa, but it seems for the most part she had gotten over her feelings. Pride, more then anything eminated from her as she clapped her hands together along with the others in the sanctum (some of whom were openly weeping) as the Queen and her consort exchanged their rings and kissed._

_"I can't believe Rhoam chose to wear his Royal Guard's uniform instead of something more fancier." a voice spoke near Urbosa, "It's a bad omen." Urbosa just rolled her eyes as she kept her eyes on Queen Zelda._

_The memory shifted a little more and the young just married couple were in a chariot being pulled by two horses that looked identical to Link's own horse, Storm, waving to the people as Urbosa walked behind the chariot, keeping her distance. The Town was bustling and there was cheering all around but.. Link felt tense. It was just a memory, but thanks to previous memories she had seen, she knew what was about to happen._

_A moment later her suspicions were confirmed correct, as a flood of talismans appeared as ontop of a nearby house.. Link recognised those figures that appeared even with their masks on. The tall imposing muscular figure with the fancy collar and the mask with three horns.. the older Kohga, and the two footsoliders by his side.. that had to be the future Jaq and his sister Iga._

_"Your Highness." the imposing figure called out in his deep voice to the chariot, "I bring news. It regards your impending death."_

_Rhoam and Urbosa immediately leapt into action, Rhoam pulling the claymore from his back and Urbosa with her weapons, the Scimitar of the Seven and the Daybreaker shield, as did the other Royal Guard members who were all carrying swords that looked similiar to the Blade that Seals the Darkness, but coloured black. The elder Master Kohga cackled deeply as some of the Hylians around them transformed into footsoldiers and blademasters as they started rushing forwards to the chariot and pandemonium broke out among the town, Hylians screaming and the Yiga and Royal Guard members fighting, blades and sickles clashing against each other._

_Link winced as she watched Rhoam rush forwards, taking on both Jaq and Iga at once, with the full might of his claymore, while Urbosa fought the elder Kohga, the leader of the Yiga Clan using both his windcleaver and his barrier magic to try and disorient her._

_"It's a real shame." the elder Kohga was saying to Urbosa as their blades clashed, sparking together, "You should really be working with us Lady Urbosa, not against us."_

_"Not a chance Kohga." Urbosa snapped as she pressed forwards, gritting her teeth._

_Kohga leaned over, whispering lowly as he used his full height against her, "I know you're smarter then this." he chuckled deeply, "You and I both know they're going to turn on you in the end, right?"_

_Urbosa screamed out, pulling her scimitar back and trying to slash at his side, but he teleported backwards just in time (but not in enough time for her blade to slash a bit of his outfit). Kohga looked down at the slash in his outfit and even though he wasn't bleeding, and it wasn't his memory, Link could just **feel** the anger radiating off him. Kohga's hand tightened around the hilt of his windcleaver._

_He was glaring at Urbosa, "After everything the Royal Family has done to your people in your long history, you're still loyal to them after all these years? How **pathetic**." his voice rose angrily, "Your people will **NEVER** be accepted by that wretched Royal Family!!" Despite how strong she was now, a small part of Urbosa still felt like that little girl as her hands trembled around her weapons and her eyes pricked with tears, but Zelda was moving to stand up._

_"Master Kohga." she spoke firmly, and Link was startled to hear that even though there he was her enemy and was trying to kill her, these was still respect in the Queen's voice, "My ancestors accepted the Gerudo people wholeheartedly many centuries before now, and as the current Queen, I accept them too. And.." she shut her eyes, taking a deep breath, before reopening them, "my offer still stands to you as well, even now, if you wish to take it." the Queen looked to the two footsoldiers that Rhoam was fighting, and there seemed to be an almost ethereal almost glow to her as she spoke._

_" **ENOUGH!!** " Kohga screamed out, "You really think after ten thousand years, after what your wretched ancestors did to mine, that we'll just accept and come back to the fold and be like your little lapdog Sheikah?! " Speaking of which.. Kohga's hand tightened around his windcleaver as another group of talismans flooded the area and Sheikah warriors appeared, wearing the same stealth gear that Link owned and holding long Sheikah blades. The Yiga Clan were outmatched now, with all the Royal Guard and Sheikah, as well as Rhoam and Urbosa and Kohga's hand tightened even more on his windcleaver as he teleported forwards again, past Urbosa and towards the Queen, but one of the Sheikah guard was quicker, teleporting right in front of Queen Zelda as the two raised their blades to each other.. and then the Sheikah woman backed away ever so slightly just in time.. and flurry rushed._

_Link shut her eyes, but Kohga's scream of agony erupted through the entire area as his windcleaver.. and the hand that had been holding it fell to the ground between them, blood spurting out of the wound where his hand had been._

_The Queen shut her blue eyes, a regretful look in them as Kohga continued to shriek and scream in pain, staggering backwards to his children. Jaq reached out for his father, letting the taller man lean on him, but Iga screamed out with such hatred in her voice it was overwhelming, charging forwards for the Sheikah woman. All the Royal Guard and Sheikah warriors immediately moved for her, but Zelda opened her eyes, determination on her face.. as she raised one arm and her whole body started to glow a bright golden, as three golden triangles appeared on her hand._

_The change was immediate, all the Yiga immediately teleported away, Kohga and his children too, leaving the mess and fires there in Castle Town. In front of them Urbosa's eyes were wide. She had attempted to leap for Kohga too, to stop him from reaching the Queen, even though the Sheikah woman had been quicker, and Zelda looked to her dear friend, and then to the Gerudo's fingertips.. which were sparking ever so slightly._

_The memory shifted forwards slightly and the four were back in the couple's bedroom. Rhoam was lying tiredly face down on the bed (a unrefined look for the new King, but it's not like he was in public right now) while Zelda was looking sadly out of the small window in the room, Urbosa sitting in a chair, still looking at her hands and the Sheikah woman (the previous Impa) was pacing around the small room._

_"Kohga's children are getting too good." Rhoam muttered, his voice muffled by the duvet, "Last time they were outmatched, but I was struggling keeping up with them this time. They're learning how to cover each others weaknesses and fight as a pair."_

_Impa's hands tightened into fists, "This is probably why he had two of them in the first place. The Kohga dynasty has never had two children until this generation, I was wondering why that had changed." she sighed, "Those two will undoubtedly be formidable foes when they take his place as leader." the Sheikah woman looked up to Zelda, "My Queen, we should not let this stand. We should plan for an attack on Kurasa Valley as soon as possible."_

_The Queen looked at Impa, her blue eyes stern. "No."_

_"My Queen--!"_

_"Zelda." Urbosa spoke up, "I'm sorry, but I agree with Lady Impa on this one. We're lucky we got away with barely a few injuries on our side. The Yiga Clan are getting bolder with each and every passing year, now that monster attacks are getting more aggressive then ever before."_

_Rhoam moved to sit up, rubbing his beard, "And that event the other month.. the strange red moon in the sky." They all shivered at the memory and Zelda wrapped her arms around herself, particuarly distraught about it._

_"I understand your concerns," the Queen spoke as gently as possible, "but the Yiga Clan are not monsters. They're people, living beings just like we are. To act in such a way would make us no different then our ancestors." she clasped her hands together and they could all see the pain on her face as she spoke, "And I refuse to follow their footsteps."_

_\---_

_The King and Queen were sitting in their thrones in the sanctum, Urbosa and Impa near them and Link followed their eyes.. jolting as she recognised Jaq as she had seen him in that final memory, wearing Hylian garb instead of his footsoldier uniform. The ex Yiga was on his knees and wincing as his arms were tied in chains, with two Sheikah warriors either side of him, their blades pointed at him._

_"How can we trust your words Kohga?" Rhoam was speaking, "After everything you've done."_

_"I.." Jaq struggled with himself, "I know this is a lot to take in." he looked up, a desperate look in his red eyes, "But I want to make amends for the terrible things I've done, I want.. I want to help you destroy the Calamity!"_

_Impa scoffed, "What, so you learned what we learned thousands of years ago, that the Calamity will destroy all of Hyrule and that's what changed your mind?"_

_"They know." Jaq was struggling with himself, "They know and they don't even care! Their hatred of you is so overpowering that they don't even care if all of Hyrule is destroyed." Jaq looked up once more, "But.. I don't want Hyrule to be destroyed! I love this land.." Jaq swallowed, "I.. I have a wife and a child on the way.. and.." he shut his eyes as a painful look crossed his face._

_Queen Zelda spoke up gently, "Even now, you still love your family don't you Kohga?"_

_The other three looked at her sharply, before glancing back at Jaq who let out a desperate sob. "Yes, your majesty. More then anything, I want to save the Yiga Clan from this madness we've been stuck in for thousand of years." he chuckled sadly as he cocked his head, the look of pain getting stronger, "I know it's crazy to hope for them to change but.."_

_"Not at all." The Queen was saying as she stood up from her throne, heading down the stairs to the main area of the sanctum as the others watched her as she approached in front of Jaq. "Your love even for the family you left behind, that just proves that you're human." Her hand started to glow and she reached out, gently tapping the chains on his wrists, which immediately unlocked without the need for a key._

_"Queen Zelda!" Urbosa and Impa's hands tightened on their weapons, but Zelda reached out, taking Jaq's hands and the ex Yiga stood up, the two facing each other, "Tell me." Zelda said quietly, "Do you like your name?"_

_"I.." Jaq struggled himself, clearly confused, "I used too.. I used to be proud of the name 'Kohga'.." he sighed, "but for now at least, I don't think it's appropiate to use that name."  
_

_"What would you call yourself instead then?"_

_Jaq swallowed, "Jaq, your majesty."_

_Queen Zelda smiled, "Then on behalf of all of Hyrule, I accept your support Jaq of the Yiga Clan." she raised her arms to the other three, "Our anti Calamity taskforce is only us four so far, but now with you here, and with this 'prophecy', we shall scour all of Hyrule to find these Divine Beasts and Guardians you have told us about."_

_Urbosa lifted her hand, "I volunteer to Pilot Vah Naboris."_

_Impa chuckled, despite herself, "Getting ahead of ourselves aren't we Lady Urbosa? Let us find the Divine Beasts and figure out how they work first."_

_"Your majesty.. Queen Zelda." Jaq rubbed his wrists, "You would really accept me just like that?"_

_"Of course." the Queen looked at him, "We've accepted defectors from your clan before, this is no different."_

_"I.." Jaq was struggling with himself, but Zelda reached out to take his hands as her own hands started glowing, the three triangles appearing on her hand. Jaq just looked at her hand with a pitiful look in his eyes._

_"I was granted this power by my ancestors, but I've struggled with it's weight my entire life." the Queen was saying quietly, "I wondered why I was alone was given this power, when the entirety of Hyrule could benefit from it." Zelda smiled weakly, "Sometimes I would wonder if I was even human at all."_

_"Zelda.." Rhoam moved to stand up, and Urbosa and Impa moved to her side too._

_"I know we're supposed to worship our Goddess." Zelda's blue eyes locked with Jaq's red ones, "But she's not here. Only we Hyruleans are. And all we have is each other, against this insurmountable Calamity bearing down on all of us."_

_Tears were starting to fill Jaq's eyes as his hands shook in hers. Even Link could feel her eyes filling with tears. Queen Zelda.. it was no wonder they all loved her so much._

_\---_

_Queen Zelda, now maybe a few years older then the last memory, was sobbing openly on the bed she shared with Rhoam. Urbosa had her arms wrapped around the Queen's shoulders, as she shook terribly. Rhoam was standing away from them, his arms crossed and a look of anger on his face. His once blonde hair was starting to turn white (was that from stress alone?) and Link felt a pang of compassion to the King as she touched her fingers to her own white hair._

_"How could they..?" Urbosa was saying quietly, "To think that the Yiga Clan would even take out their own family members like that.."_

_"Jaq.." Zelda sobbed, "I should have done something I should have--"_

_Rhoam sighed, moving to the bed beside his wife gently pressing the side of his head to hers, "There was nothing you could have done dear. We offered plenty of times to have him move into the castle with us, but he wanted to stay in Kakariko and do whatever he could to help evacuate the relics and continue his research." Rhoam gently took his wife's hand in his own, as Urbosa took her other hand, "At least we've moved the boy and his mother into the castle now. We'll do everything in our power to protect them now in his place."_

_The three just clung to each other on the bed as Zelda continued to cry and Link's hand tightened around the symbol of the Royal Family on her soldier's armour._

_\---_

_"Urbosa!" They were back in Gerudo Town, and the Queen was approaching the throne where Urbosa was sitting and in her arms.. oh. Link noticed the small bundle in her arms. Urbosa's eyes were alight as she moved to stand from her throne, standing by the Queen._

_"Oh Zelda.." the Gerudo crooned gently, as the newborn reached out, clasping one of the Gerudo's fingers in her own tiny hand, "She's even more beautiful in person. Your Princess will grow up to be a dignified and beautiful queen, just like you."_

_"Thank you my dear friend." The Queen just smiled, unable to even take her eyes of the newborn Princess in her arms. "But.. more then that, I just wish for her happiness." the Queen looked up at the Gerudo Chief, "Urbosa.. would you like to be her godmother?"_

_"Of course! You need not even ask."_

_"My little bird.." the Queen whispered quietly as the Princess' blue greenish eyes (a mixture of her parent's colours) opened, "I wish you had come into this world at a better time, but I am happy you are here none the less. She sighed, "I only hope I can prepare you for the future ahead for all of us here in Hyrule."_

_Link swallowed painfully._

_\---_

_The rain was crashing down on what felt like all of Hyrule that day and Link could feel her tears running down her face, even before she realised what this memory was. Link looked at each person at the funeral. The King (his full head head of hair now completely white and Link startled a bit.. somehow he looked familiar to her?), the young Princess Zelda who looked around six years old, Urbosa and her younger sister, the elder Impa and her two daughters, Robbie's entire family including his half brother Sheik.. and in very back of the room, Link noticed someone else she recognised._

_There were a bunch of Knights protecting over the procession, and one of those Knights.. Link spotted the scar covering the left closed eye immediately (Sir Link, her great grandfather). Link looked around, wondering if her uncle was here too, but she couldn't see him. Apart from the aforementioned children, there were none other here._

_The pain and misery among all the people at the funeral was almost deafening. Rhoam was just barely holding it together, his hand over his mouth as he trembled heavily. Urbosa just looked completely numb, her eyes raw, as if she just couldn't cry anymore. Between the two of them stood the young Princess and Link was taken aback at how she held her head up high._

_Somehow.. Link was reminded of herself waiting in that little boat at Martha's Landing. She hadn't screamed, she hadn't cried, she hadn't even made a single noise at all even as she had heard her parents die. Link reached up and touched her throat, as she watched the little Princess._

_\---_

_"Little bird! Please stop!" Link gasped. She was back in the Spring of Courage, and it was getting dark, the fireflies surrounding Princess Zelda's tiny form as she stood in the icy cold water in front of the Goddess Statue. The little Princess was shaking from the cold, even as she clasped her tiny hands together, praying in front of the statue. Behind the Princess, Urbosa was desperately watching over her. Zelda's teeth were chattering as she spoke out, "J-just a little longer Urbosa.. I-I just need more t-time.."_

_Urbosa grit her teeth, and walked forwards into the cold water, even as the Knights back by the bridges looked around unsure of what to do. Urbosa gently grabbed one of the girl's arms, as Zelda looked up at her helplessly, "I'm sorry little bird, but there's no more time. We need to get back to safety. Its just not safe out here in the night." Urbosa looked back at the Knights, "Get the horses ready. We must make it to Lurelin before nightfall. It's the safest place for us to stay for now."_

_"Yes Lady Urbosa." the Knights started moving around, to get things ready for their departure, as Urbosa dragged Zelda out of the water, grabbing the girl's winter coat and wrapping it around her freezing shoulders. Zelda just looked up at Urbosa, her blue greenish eyes filled with tears, "Urbosa.. what's wrong with me?"_

_\---_

_Urbosa was in the sanctum again, and above her sat King Rhoam in his throne, and beside him in her mother's throne was the Princess. She looked to be around twelve to thirteen years old now, the massive throne far too big for her, but she held her head up anyway as she sat beside her father. Urbosa couldn't take her eyes away from the little Princess. Near Urbosa, Link noted the the young Sheikah.. the younger Impa, who looked almost a spitting image of Paya._

_Suddenly one of the Royal Guard came rushing into sanctum, and Urbosa's head snapped around. The man was stammering, "K-King Rhoam! I-its.. its.."_

_Rhoam frowned, "Out with it, what's happening?"_

_The Royal Guard looked around as two figures came walking into the sanctum. Link's breath caught in her chest. It was them, her great grandfather and her uncle. The Knight and the future Hylian Champion bent down both on one knee before the King as her uncle brought out from his back.. oh._

_Rhoam gasped deeply, getting up from his throne and even Urbosa's eyes widened in shock. The boy was barely Zelda's age, but in his hands on one knee he carried that scabbard that contained the Legendary Blade._

_"The Sword that Seals the Darkness.. the Legendary Master Sword." Rhoam murmured, barely able to believe his eyes (Link's eyes widened. Master Sword..? Was that the blade's name? She hadn't even known) and beside him Zelda's hands tightened on the throne's armrests._

_"Knight." Rhoam turned to Sir Link, "Please explain how this has happened."_

_Sir Link got to his feet, "Of course, your majesty." he glanced to his son, "We Knights were on a regular excursion to the blacksmith guild and stopped for the night in the Rauru Settlement inn. When I awoke, my son was gone, and we Knights found him later.. coming out of the Lost Woods." Sir Link swallowed, and there was a sudden nervousness to the usually stoic man that was so unlike all the memories she had seen of him so far, "With the Master Sword already in his hands."_

_Too young. Urbosa looked at the boy in front of her. He was too young for this. She looked up at Zelda once more, who's eyes were locked on the boy in front of her. They were both too young for these burdens._

_Rhoam looked at the boy, "Child, what is your name?"_

_The boy's hands tightened on the blade's scabbard, remaining on his knee, his eyes downcast and she could hear his ragged breathing as he tried to bring himself to speak. Sir Link stepped forward, "My son's name is Link, your majesty."_

_\---_

_Now wearing their Champion blue, Urbosa and the Hylian Champion Link were sparring together, Urbosa with the Scimitar of the Seven and Daybreaker, and Link with the Master Sword and a strange white and blue shield with the symbol of the Royal Family on it. The other three Champions were watching from afar as their fighting intensified even further, their blades clashing against each other constantly as they slashed and parried against each other._

_"Hey, can you keep up with this?" Daruk was saying quietly as he rubbed the back of his head, "They're moving so fast it's kinda making my head spin."_

_"What, can't you?" Revali just sighed, glancing away. Mipha just had her hands clasped together, watching as the two sped up even more. Blow after blow, clash after clash their blades slashed against each other, sending sparks flying all over the area they were fighting in. Urbosa was panting heavily, sweat coming down her face, but Link didn't even look tired. One more clash, then another, and a third.. and then Urbosa staggered. Link didn't even hesitate, as he moved the Master Sword back to her side as if he were about to slash right through her.  
_

_And then he stopped just in time, quickly sheathing the blade back in it's scabbard, before reaching down with his now free hand to the staggered Gerudo, his blue eyes still and focused. Daruk whooped and cheered and Mipha clapped, Revali just let out a little 'tsk' though. Urbosa chuckled as she took his hand and was pulled back up, "Splendid, you truly are fit to protect my little bird."_

_\---_

_Urbosa was alone, near the library of Hyrule Castle, her arms crossed over her chest as she guiltily looked to the door that led to the library and the King's Study, the little hidden nook he had in the library. Zelda had wished to speak to her father alone, but.. Urbosa had come anyway._

_Link swallowed nervously. This was it, the final piece of the puzzle, at least when it came to the four Pilots. Was it here where she was going to find out what had happened to Princess Zelda? Link clasped her hands together as tears pricked her eyes.. (Please.. please let her have survived this somehow.) the Hylian desperately thought to herself._

_The memory shifted violently and Link found herself above the castle again as the sky burned red with malice and she staggered. Why.. why did she keep showing up here right when the Calamity attacked, and not with the Champion that she was supposedly connected too? She could hear the screams around her once more, but this time she didn't place her hands over her head, even though the screams still overwhelmed her. She made sure to look around as much as possible, trying to figure out this stange memory._

_Link appeared to be.. floating right above the castle. She looked down at her hands, and startled. She couldn't see her hands at all, she looked all around at herself.. but she was completely incorporeal. Link looked down.. that was the top of the castle, leading into the sanctum.. where her uncle had been._

_Link took in a deep breath and tried to focus on the sanctum, willing her spirit to go there. (Show me.) she pleaded (Show me what happened to him.) She reopened her eyes and looked down.. there was a hole right in the middle of the sanctum's floor leading to an underground room that pulsed sickly red with stars all over the walls. Link recoiled in shock. She had seen that room before. Back in Rudania. On the night of the blood moon._

_The memory shifted violently again and Urbosa screamed out as she used her lightning powers, Urbosa's Fury against a guardian that had crashed down from the roof, a gaping hole now in the roof of the library. The guardian's long legs staggered as the lightning consumed it completely and it collapsed backwards, it's head rotating as Urbosa rushed into the library._

_"Zelda! Rhoam!" Urbosa called out desperately._

_"Down here!"_

_Urbosa climbed down from the top part of the library where she had been to the main floor of the library. In front of her stood the King, Rhoam himself, holding onto his shoulder which singed with steam with his free hand, his claymore next to him. The King was panting heavily as Urbosa rushed to him, "Rhoam, where's Zelda?!"_

_Rhoam staggered to his feet, shuddering, before pointing to the back secret passage that lead to the docks. It had collapsed completely, rubble and rock blocking the passage way. "A group of soldiers tried to evacuate us but Zelda and I were seperated when the passage way collapsed."_

_"So she's safe?"_

_Rhoam nodded. "She has a group of soldiers with her. By now they should have escaped the docks on boat and be half way across the moat."_

_Urbosa let out the shaky breath she had been holding. "Then we'll get you out of here next."_

_"No." Urbosa recoiled with shock as she looked back towards Rhoam who was pulling himself up to his full height, taking his claymore once more. "I would have escaped with Zelda if possible.. but now that I'm stuck here." his hands tightened around the claymore, "I'm going to fight. I'm their King I can't abandon them, Urbosa."_

_"Are you insane?! No!!" Urbosa's hand tightened on her scimitar as the guardian she had been fighting earlier pulled itself back on it's legs, it's head spinning around. "Zelda **NEEDS** you Rhoam!"_

_Rhoam chuckled weakly, "Zelda needed her mother. Not me. I've just made everything worse for her. I barred her from her beloved research, I forced her into ten years of gruelling training, and for what?" Rhoam looked at Urbosa, deep pain in his green eyes, "All I've done is made my beloved daughter suffer."_

_As the guardian took it's focus on them again as it charged downwards into the lower area of the library, Urbosa quickly grabbed one of Rhoam's arms, pulling both of them into his study, leaning on the walls of the tiny room as the guardian attempted to charge into it. Urbosa shuddered as the entire library seemed to shake, books falling out of the bookcases and tumbling to the floor of the library._

_"Then you need to survive Rhoam, so you can tell her this."_

_Rhoam smiled sadly, "I already have."_

_Urbosa grit her teeth tightly, even as the tears ran down her face. The guardian was pounding heavily on the little entrance leading to the King's Study, one of it's long legs pushing into the little room as little bits of rubble collapsed into the tiny room._

_It was just a memory.. Link couldn't influence it in anyway, but she screamed out anyway desperately in her mind (STOP IT! LEAVE THEM ALONE!) rushing forwards to the guardian, with its sickly red glow and blue eye. She knew how to deal with these now, she only needed to purify them.. and yet she was powerless here in this memory._

_And then.. the guardian seemingly staggered backwards, as it's red glow turned natural orange. Link startled, looking down at her hands. Had.. had she done that? No, that couldn't be right. This was a memory from one hundred years ago. It couldn't have been her._

_She glanced back up at the guardian as Rhoam and Urbosa looked out the little room as the guardian seemed to stagger backwards in the library. It seemed confused, it's head spinning constantly as it's blue eye seemingly searched for something none of them could see._

_"King Rhoam! Lady Urbosa!" the two looked up as a group of soliders came rushing down from the back entrance of the library, just above the King's Study. The guardian was frantically staggering now, almost shuddering as it flickered between sickly red and it's natural orange, as if two beings were desperately fighting to control it, and the King and Gerudo Chief nodded at each other, before rushing up the stairs towards the soldiers._

_The guardian turned back to sickly red._

_Link desperately shut her eyes. She knew it was coming, and she didn't want to see it. She hadn't even seen her parents death, nor had she seen the fatal beam sent to her great grandfather in Mipha's memory (although she had seen the aftermath). She definetely did not want to see this. Not now, not after everything she had just seen._

_Regardless, she heard the laser beam and her heart fell._

_"RHOAM!" That was Urbosa's scream, a scream of agony and despair._

_Link just kept her eyes shut as she trembled desperately._

_\---_

_Urbosa was panting heavily, blood spilling from a wound on her shoulder as she headed up towards the higher area of the castle. It was just a memory, but Link almost vomited. There were soldiers bodies everywhere, laser beams in every direction. Link looked up. Four pillars glowing sickly red were surrounding the castle now. She looked down to the town below her. Guardians were crawling all over the town, laser beams firing off in all directions, houses ripped apart and on fire. Link looked up and she could see the pandemonium as people were desperately trying to escape, horses and people running away from Castle Town and the nearby settlements._

_Urbosa had saved them. She had taken command of the army and told them to evactuate as many people as possible. Link swallowed painfully. One of those many horses she could see, would that have been her grandmother and great grandmother? All those figures were so small in the distance..  
_

_Urbosa had her usual weapons equipped on her back and was instead carrying a soldier's bow, with the blue glowing arrows equipped to it. A guardian approached her from the south, and she grit her teeth, turning to face it and letting loose an arrow right into its eye which completely destroyed it on impact. Urbosa staggered desperately. She was exhausted, but still she continued to move upwards, heading to the sanctum right in front of her.  
_

_"Mipha, Daruk, Revali.. Link.." Urbosa shuddered as the blood spilled from the wound on her shoulder, "Where are you all?" She staggered as she suddenly tripped over something she hadn't seen in front of her, and the Gerudo Champion looked down, her eyes going wide. "No..!"  
_

_Link followed her eyes and her blood almost froze inside her. The Master Sword, still in it's scabbard was right at Urbosa's feet.  
_

_Urbosa staggered, exhaustion taking her as she collapsed to her knees right there in front of the scabbard which was just in front of the entrance leading to the sanctum. Tears were falling from her eyes, "Link.." Urbosa covered her hand with her mouth as she began to weep uncontrollably. "Why.. why did this have to happen? How much more can you take from us? Was it not enough that you destroyed my own people's history and wrecked our relationship with the Hylians for the rest of eternity?"_

_\---_

_Link shuddered. She was back in Gerudo Town and Urbosa was there.. maybe nine or ten years old, with an older Gerudo who had to be her mother. There were tears running down the young child's face, as she tugged on her mother's clothing, "Please, tell me it isn't true! What was written in our history books.. that's just a myth right?"_

_Urbosa's mother sighed as she reached down, gently hugging her daughter around the shoulder, "I'm sorry dear, I wish it wasn't true myself.." Urbosa sobbed as she covered her face with her hands, "The Great Calamity.. was born as a Gerudo?"_

_Link recoiled in shock. No. That couldn't be right. The Sheikah boy..! Urbosa's tiny hands balled into fists. "What was his name?"_

_"I.. I don't know dear.." her mother swallowed as she hugged her daughter to her chest, "Nobody knows. His name was lost to history and time, it doesn't exist in any history books, not Sheikah, nor Hylian, or even Gerudo. All we know it as now is the 'The Great Calamity'." Urbosa just continued to wail as the memory disappeared around Link and was returned to that dark void._

_But she couldn't hear Urbosa's thoughts anymore, like she had in the other Divine Beasts._

_Link struggled to see, and in front of her.. finally, here it was Urbosa's altered furnace in Naboris. Urbosa was sitting up, the malice dripping from her as her blue guardian eyes were sunken. And sitting in her lap, seemingly uncaring about the malice all over her form was.. Link swallowed as the the Sheikah boy raised his hand, his strange red (Sheikah red) but also yellowish (Gerudo yellow) eyes locked onto her blue._

_"Hello Spirit of the Hero. So, you finally made it here." He was talking to her in the Ancient Sheikah language and even now she could understand it._

_"Who are you?" Link croaked out, in modern Hylian and the boy cocked his head._

_"Sorry? What are you saying to me? I don't understand."_

_Link reached out, touching her throat and wincing a little as she looked down to her malice strewn hands. She shut her eyes for a moment, taking in a deep breath, even now in this void, trying to channel the energy of the furnaces that existed out there, magnified through her very spirit. It burned. It burned so much, but she grit her teeth despite the pain. It was fine, everything was fine. The pain wouldn't continue on into the real world after all. She could feel the malice bubbling in her throat as she reopened her eyes, looking at the Sheikah boy once more as she spoke out in Ancient Sheikah. "Let. Her. Go."_

_The boy smiled widely and Link was almost stunned by the absolute searing hatred she could feel pouring off him (or she would be, if she couldn't feel that hatred herself, almost boiling over in her own skin, threating to choke her with it), "No, I don't think I will."_

_"What are you? Gerudo or Sheikah?"_

_The boy chuckled, before letting out a loud deep (far too deep for such a small young boy) laugh that seemed to resonate through the entirety of the void, making Link shudder desperately. "That's funny. I should be asking you the same thing." the boy looked at her, "So, what are you? Hylian or Sheikah?"  
_

_Link frowned, "I'm Hylian. Or.. Zonai I guess." she tried to speak the word Zonai, but it seemed to garble in her throat, coming out as a different word all together.  
_

_The boy cocked his head, a blank look on his face, "That's right. You're the Hero aren't you? That means you're my enemy." the boy raised his arm as malice began to pour out of him and towards her._

_"Why do we have to be enemies?!" Link screamed out desperately, despite her anger, "You're just a child!"_

_The world, the dark void was shifting rapidly around her and Link suddenly found herself in a strange area unlike any she had been in before. The clouds seemed to be moving around her, and there was water beneath her feet and Link struggled as she looked up seeing.. Link screamed out. There was a towering figure unlike any she had ever seen before in her life. A humanoid figure covered in black scales with hair that almost looked like it was on fire. That.. thing.. turned to face her, and its eyes were a bright red, glowing and filled with such hatred that she couldn't even possibly imagine. Link collapsed backwards into the water, her hands over her mouth as she shook, terror filling her entire being._

_And then it was all over, just as quickly as the vision had appeared, and she was returned back to the dark void, Urbosa's furnace was in front of her again, but the boy was gone. Link staggered as she looked around desperately. The furnace.. Link reached out for it, but she couldn't move. She looked down to her feet, realising that the malice was seeping out of her and she was.. sinking into it._

_"You've spent all this time, all this effort, for what?" the boy's voice.. no, the deep voice was crooning out to her. "You will never break this curse. You and I will be destined to fight against each other for the rest of eternity."_

_Curse..? Link struggled desperately as she sank even deeper into the malice that was consuming her. "Do you mean the Spirit of the Hero, the Blood of the Goddess and the Reincarnation of Hatred?"_

_"Oh so you do know of it." the boy chuckled and suddenly he was floating above her.. but he wasn't the Sheikah boy anymore. Instead he took on the apperance of a ragged very thin but tall Gerudo adult with sunken yellow eyes, short red hair and a yellow gem on his forehead. "We're unfortunately missing one but.. what are you waiting for Hero?" the Gerudo voe spoke to her in that ancient language, "Take on your full proper Hero apperance just like the Legends foretold, with your green tunic."_

_Green.. tunic? Link looked at him desperately as she sank even deeper into the malice. "I don't have any green clothing." She had her white stealth gear, her grey soldier's armour and her pink snowquill clothing, as well as the blue lobster shirt she was gifted by her father.. but no green._

_The Gerudo voe chuckled deeply as he looked over her sinking even deeper into the malice, "Come on now Hero, the whole world is waiting for you to save them. If you don't everyone out there will die because of you."  
_

_Link swallowed as she sank even deeper into the malice almost her entire body fallen in, just her arms and face out of it, "I don't know what you're asking of me! I.. I don't think I'm the person you seem to think I am!"_

_" **PATHETIC.** " a second deeper guttural voice seemed to growl at her, and the Gerudo voe froze as his eyes seemed to widen in fear. Link just screamed out desperately as she sank completely into the malice and it consumed her totally._)

Link gasped as she awoke on her back, feeling the warmth of Lurelin's sand beneath her and hearing the cries of the seagulls and the gentle waves of Necluda's sea. Link pushed herself to her feet as she looked around desperately, spotting Lurelin's inn and the small huts that surrounded her.

She was.. home?

Link looked up. The sun felt bright and warm on her skin, and the gentle waves of the sea running around her bare feet. She took in a deep breath, it even smelled like home.. the gentle winds of Lurelin unchanged no matter how many months she had been gone.

Link turned around, looking at the huts near her. It seemed to be early morning and no-one had opened their shutters yet. Before she realised it, she was walking past the the huts, past the inn and Cloyne's treasure game leading to the little path she remembered up to the pond, stopping right in front of her own home. The shutter was still closed and Link seemed to freeze in place.

What was she doing here? She was supposed to be in Vah Naboris, wasn't she?

The shutter opened and Link.. could feel the tears running down her face as she suddenly saw her father right there in front of her, looking out of the small home, glancing from left to right as he checked the perimeter around the village. He looked almost exactly the same as he did the when she was six years old, on that last fishing trip they had gone on.. his pale skin, mop of blonde hair, and those bright blue eyes that she remembered vividly.

"How is the village?" her mother Dora called from inside the hut and Link swallowed painfully. ( _Whose memory is this? Why am I seeing this?_ )

"Looks good, no damage that I can see from here. I better close the shutter for a little while longer anyway." her father moved to close it, and Link felt her spirit moving forwards into hut against her will. She looked to her mother even as the tears continued to run down her face, noting her dark skin, brown hair and green eyes as in her arms..

Link recoiled. That was _her_ wasn't it? Link moved closer, leaning over a little as she looked at herself as a baby in her own mother's arms. She was absolutely tiny, even smaller then the Princess had been in Urbosa's memory. Link swallowed, had she just been born?

Her father sighed as he moved to one of the chairs at the little table. "The blood moons are getting worse Dora." he reached out, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Link frowned. No wonder why all the shutters were still closed, if it had been a blood moon the previous night.

"Yes.." her mother sighed, "still, we've managed it well again, considering." she reached out and Link watched as the baby wrapped her tiny hand around her mother's finger. Her father sighed, coming to sit on the bed beside her as he looked down at the newborn.

"Born on the blood moon huh.." (Link froze. _What??_ ) "You let our your first cry right at midnight too.."

Dora turned to him, an annoyed look on her face, "Don't tell me you believe those nonsense superstitions Link. I didn't take you for that kind of man."

Her father sighed, "Of course not dear. Even back in Hateno there were many children born on the blood moon and nothing ever came of it. With how frequent they have been occuring recently it's only natural that more and more children are born on it." Her father leaned over, gently poking her tiny face as the baby wiggled in her mother's arms. "You know Dora, now that she's here, we really should decide on a name." (Link startled again, looking to her parents with wide eyes.)

Dora glanced over at him, "I'm happy with Link, it's your family tradition after all."

Her father crossed his arms, "But you said that if we were to have a daughter you would want to name her Pan didn't you? Link for a boy, Pan for a girl, that's what you said."

"I know what I said, but.. I've changed my mind." Dora looked at the baby as her green eyes opened, "I don't want to break your family tradition that's lasted hundreds of years, just because we had a daughter."

"Hmm.." Link closed his eyes, "where's the name 'Pan' from anyway? I swear I've heard it before.."

"It's from the same word my name came from." Dora looked at her husband with her own green eyes, "The full word is 'pandora', it's a very loose translation of some ancient Zonai text that some of our ancestors managed to translate a few generations ago." she smiled as she looked down at her daughter, "I have no idea what it means, but I thought it was such a beautiful word that I wanted to name my own daughter 'Pan' if I had one."

Link just staggered backwards in the hut, her hand over her chest, barely unable to believe what she was hearing. Out of all the things she had learned so far, somehow the revelation that she almost wasn't called 'Link' seemed to shock her the most.

( _Link screamed out loud as she reappeared in the dark void once more, choking on the malice in her throat as she desperately tried to push herself out of the pool of malice, and back to the furnace, finding herself right in front of the Sheikah boy who was staring at her curiously._

_"What now?!" she choked out to him, glaring at him with an almost vicious look in her tear filled eyes. The boy suddenly reached out, grabbing her long hair and tugging it and she cried out, even though the pain was nothing comapred to what she was currently feeling. He appeared to be studying the white locks in her hair and she cried out in agony and hurt and an anger that was threatening to completely consume her._

_"Interesting.." the boy murmured, "I was wondering what's wrong with you, but I think I get it now.." the boy smiled widely and that hatred seemed to evaporate from him just barely, "You're just like me, aren't you?"_

_"Wh..what??" Link looked at him with wide eyes. She had no idea what was going through this boy's head, but the way he was smiling at her.. made her suddenly feel very scared. The boy crept closer to her, as the malice consumed them both, his red eyes blazing wildly._

_"You were even born on the night of the crimson moon, just like I was." the boy was saying and Link desperately choked. The malice was consuming her again, but in a completely different way. It was pure agony in a way that she had never felt before (no, not quite, she had felt this way before back on that night in Rudania, but this.. was even worse then that), and it even felt like it was consuming her very thoughts and feelings.. everything that made her who she was as a person._

_"It's okay." the boy was crooning to her, "You will be safe here. Nothing will hurt you now. My friends will be here soon as well." Link screamed out as the malice seemed to fill every part of her body._

_She could feel them now, Mipha, Daruk, Revali and Urbosa. They were all near her, their presences eveloping her completely. Is this what they felt when they were being consumed by malice in the castle? She was falling.. falling backwards, into a darkness she couldn't possibly get back from._

_"Please.. someone.. anyone.. HELP ME!!"_ )

Dorian grit his teeth as he teleported around in the sands wildly, the Blade that Seals the Darkness that he was carrying clashing against his own windcleaver in the Gerudo's hands. It didn't matter where he teleported too, it felt like Urbosa already knew where he was going as the two blades continued to crash and spark against each other.

The other four were trying to keep up as they followed them around in the sands, trying to use their own weapons to slow her down, and Dorian would teleport frantically backwards just to avoid them, but then.. Urbosa seemed to let out the most loudest screech yet as the malice around her form seemed to magnify tenfold as strange yellow eyeballs appeared around the malice. "Everyone, get back!" Teba yelled out.

Yunobo shrieked, "What _are_ they?!" and Dorian's hands tightened around the blade. He had seen them before, the one time he had ever gotten close enough to the castle and had seen the malice pools that existed there. Those malice pools at the castle were different from the malice they had back in the hideout. The malice they had back there was just that, a pool of seemingly leftover malice, bubbling and painful sure, but that's all it was. The pools at the castle were different, with those strange yellow eyes that followed you around.. it seemed to be almost be _alive_. Maybe it was because of the eyes? Or maybe it was just stronger somehow, being so close to the Calamity.

Teba rushed to Riju's side, giving her the Bow of Light (as he wasn't able to fly carrying both of them), before taking off once more, loading the Great Eagle Bow with an arrow as he fired upon one of the eyes. It seemed to almost shriek out, imploding in on itself and Urbosa staggered backwards slightly, leaving footprints, mini pools of malice below her feet, before she looked up again and another eye appeared to replace the one Teba had destroyed.

Dorian desperately looked up to Naboris as his hands tightened even more around the blade. Behind them he could still hear the fighting between the Gerudo, Hylians and the mini guardian army and he glanced over his shoulder. They were _winning_. Most of the guardians had been destroyed or were on the brink of being destroyed.

Suddenly a shriek pierced the desert and they all looked up to the skies. Medoh was _falling_.

"Ghhh.." Dorian's head span around again and his grey eyes widened as his hands trembled. Urbosa was staggering desperately, as malice spewed from her mouth, and she moved forwards, "Help.. me.."

"We're trying Lady Urbosa!" Riju screamed out, tears filling her eyes. Urbosa just looked up, locking eyes with Dorian, her bright blue guardian eyes and his orange ones. And Dorian shuddered, despite himself. And then Urbosa spoke.. but that wasn't _Urbosa_ that was speaking. 

"Dorian."

The blade fell from Dorian's hands to the desert sands.

( _He was back in his then brand new personal blademaster chambers in the hideout, his hands trembling heavily as he washed them desperately in a bucket of water. It wasn't helping though, no matter how much Dorian cleaned his hands, he couldn't get it off. His hands were practically red raw as he scrubbed them and he could feel the tears spilling from his eyes into the bucket alongside the red water._

 _All he could think of at that moment was Kiyah's face back at the fairy fountain and other times too, telling him over and over again that he wasn't a monster.. but that wasn't true was it? Maybe it had been true once, just maybe.. but now.. now.. Dorian just laughed, a desperate broken sound escaping him, even as his tears continued to fall and he continued to clean his hands._ )

Dorian's eyes rolled back into his skull as he collapsed, right there in the sands right next to the blade. "NO!!" The other four rushed to his side. Sidon carefully moving the tall Sheikah from his side to his back, reaching out and touching two fingers to his neck.

"Is.. is he..?" Yunobo was whimpering. Sidon swallowed, "He's alive, but completely out cold." Teba looked desperately up to Medoh, before turning back to Urbosa who was staggering forwards in the sand towards the five of them. Medoh was falling faster and faster. It's trajectory was was going to cause it to crash in the ruins just in front of the Northern Icehouse, but the devestation that would cause.. it would send sand and chunks of ruins _everywhere_. "What are we going to do..?" Riju's hands tightened around her weapons.

In front of them, Urbosa was spewing constant malice as she staggered towards the five and behind them Buliara and Teake were rushing for them, but they weren't going to make it in time.

Suddenly, a great powerful golden glow came from near Riju and she looked over to the Bow of Light that Teba had given her earlier. The closer Urbosa was coming, the more it seemed to glow fiercer and she reached for it.

Urbosa seemed to stagger backwards from it's glow, hissing wildly, but then.. she staggered forwards again. The four representatives looked back to her. She was staggering wildly, back and forwards still, as if there were two beings fighting for control inside her.

"Bow.. Light.." Urbosa choked out towards the four of them, "Use.. it on.. me.."

Riju could feel her tears spilling from her cheeks, but she grabbed the Bow of Light anyway, desperately trying to pull the drawstring. It was so heavy..! Next to her, Teba, Yunobo and Sidon too were putting their hands on the drawstring, as Riju aimed right for Urbosa's chest.

"Lady Urbosa..!" Riju sobbed desperately, as her tears rolled down her face, hitting the desert sands "Please, please survive this! I.. I want you to be alive, to see the world that we will create when the Calamity is gone!" all four of them at once, pulling the drawstring as hard as they could, as an arrow of light appeared from the bow and Riju looked up towards Sidon, Yunobo and Teba. "This.. this is our land of Hyrule too!" All four of them released the drawstring at once, and the arrow of light shot off towards Urbosa, piercing her right in the chest as she let out a terrible shriek and was consumed completely by red streams of light.

( _Back in the void, Link screamed out desperately as she returned to consciousness, the golden glow of the arrow of light filling her entire form as she pulled herself out of the malice. She could hear the boy screaming in pain, and the guttural hatred filled howling of that.. thing that was seemingly controlling his every action, but she pushed forwards anyway, desperately pressing her hand to the furnace as the golden glow filled the entire dark void all at once._

_Urbosa looked up, at the golden glow that was surround her entire being and Link pushed forwards desperately, "Lady Urbosa! You've been suffering in here for so long..! You felt like you failed your friend and her daughter by allowing yourself to being consumed by the Calamity. You've been in complete denial about it.." Link pushed forwards, "But it isn't your fault!! None of this was any of your fault, not Mipha's or Daruk's or Revali's or yours!!"_

_Link reached forwards, pushing her hand into the malice as she took hold of Urbosa's hand. "Please, let's get out of here and find out what happened to the others, together!!"_

_Urbosa shuddered as the malice itself on her seemed to scream out in pain, and then her sunken eyes looked up to Link's the guardian like blue melting away into her usual Gerudo green as she clasped back onto Link's hand and the light void spread out all among them, the Hylian Child and the Gerudo Chief.._ )

\---

In the Shrine of Resurrection, the Sheikah monk Maz Koshia screamed out desperately as the connection between himself and Dorian was violently hijacked, staggering backwards and stumbling against the pedestal. He had been dead for ten thousand years now, but the vertigo was so intense, the room spinning around him, it was almost like he was alive again. He placed his hand on the pedestal, trying to control himself as his legs staggered in the tiny room, but somehow.. he didn't know how.. he was losing consciousness. That should not have even been _possible_.

He looked desperately to the bed and the figure that was still asleep in it and for a moment.. as he blacked out.. he almost saw a completely different figure asleep in the bed. An adult. A teenager. A boy. An _infant_.

The Sheikah monk raised his hand to the bed, his entire body trembling as the guilt of ten thousand years (and even more) crashed through his mind all at once.. and found he just couldn't hold on anymore, collapsing to the ground of the chamber as he completely and utterly fell unconscious.


	26. The Great Plateau Part I

( _Link gasped as her eyes flew open. She was in that dark void again, alone, sad, but comfortable, just like she had been after Ruta. She couldn't feel the presences of the Champions, nor that boy or that choking hatred behind him.. but there **was** a presence here. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forwards into the dark void._

_"Hello?" she called out to the darkness.. and the void responded. "Hi."_

_Link gasped as she touched her own throat. She hadn't spoken that, but it had come from her own throat. She looked up and the presence appeared. A Hylian boy with blonde hair, bright blue eyes, wearing Champion blue.. Link swallowed painfully._

_"Uncle Link." The boy smiled at her and his mouth moved, but it was **her** who was speaking his words.. and in the Ancient Sheikah language to boot. "Thank you for saving my friends niece. You've been so brave haven't you?" he reached out with his hand, gently pressing down on the white locks of her hair, as a deeply sad smile crossed over his features, "I'll.. see you soon, okay?"_

_"Wait." Link's eyes widened as she tried stepping forwards, but there was something holding her back, something she couldn't see. "Where are you?! I can come find you..!"_

_The void was disappearing.. and so was he, but Link desperately tried pushing forwards anyway, screaming out for him even as he disappeared into the darkness.._ )

\---

In the desert sands, Urbosa was screeching out as the malice escaped from her body, red streams of light bursting from her, the four representatives still holding the Bow of Light, with Dorian's unconscious body just behind them. And then.. it was all over, Urbosa's now free body, all the malice gone from it, collapsing to the desert sands as Naboris behind her started to glow a bright blue.

Way further back, the Gerudo and Hylians watched as the last remaining guardian left in the pile of destroyed ones seemed to stagger, before retaking its own natural orange glow. Unfortunately, an over enthusiastic Beedle had already released one of his remaining ancient arrows and it hit the guardian square in the eye, completely destroying it.

"Beedle!" Vilia scolded and the critter merchant laughed a little nervously, "Sorry sorry Vilia, I guess I got carried away haha!"

A shriek from the sky made them look up as Medoh regained its blue glow, just before it crashed into the ruins, and the great Divine Beast made a sharp turn, the wind expelled from the Divine Beast frantic (casuing them all to yell out as the desperate winds hit them even at a distance), and Medoh flew just barely above the sands, sending sand billowing around it before it came to land near the West Barrens.

"Lady Urbosa!!" The Gerudo and Hylians were torn from the giant beast to the little Gerudo Chief in front of them, who was running away from the group she had been in, rushing forwards in the sands to Urbosa's fallen body just as Buliara and Teake finally reached the group.

Riju collapsed to her knees right in front of Urbosa's body, moving her head to the Champion's chest, listening intently. "She isn't breathing!" Riju cried out, panic filling her as she moved her tiny hands to Urbosa's chest, interlocking her fingers of her right hand with her left, as she started to push down on the woman's chest, counting as she did so.

Behind her, Sidon, Yunobo and Teba looked at each other with distraught eyes. This wasn't how it had gone with their respective Champions but then again, it hadn't been quite like _this_ with their Divine Beasts as they looked to the three Divine Beasts that were now in the sands, whose lights had returned to their usual blue.

"Come on.. come on Lady Urbosa!" Riju whimpered as she continued to pump down on Urbosa's chest. "Please, don't die!" Then she noted something.. Urbosa's fingers which had a little spark in them. Swallowing, Riju released her hands from Urbosa's chest, moving one of her hands to Urbosa's hand. As she touched her fingers, the jolt of the lightning sparked to her own fingers and Riju didn't even think twice (not even thinking about the fact that she was essentially using Urbosa's power) before pressing her hands, now sparking with the power of Urbosa's Fury, back down into Urbosa's chest, sending the gentle lightning through Urbosa's chest.

Urbosa gasped as her green eyes flew open, choking a little as she took in desperate heavy breaths and Riju sobbed desperately, her hands trembling, as she slumped sitting down beside the Gerudo Champion in the sands. "Thank you Seven Heroines.. _thank you_."

Urbosa took another deep breath, her green eyes turning to Riju in front of her as she tried to focus on the girl. "Ah.." she croaked out, "Arula..?"

Riju could feel her tears leaking from her eyes, but she shook her head, "I'm sorry Lady Urbosa. Lady Arula was my grandmother, my name is Riju."

"Re.." Urbosa took another deep breath as her eyes closed and her hand reached out, clasping Riju's hand in her own, "Riju.." she nodded and took another deep breath, before falling unconscious once more. Riju just sighed outwardly, still holding Urbosa's hand as she looked up to the sky in the desert, which was turning shades of purplish blue.. it would be dusk soon. It had only been just over an hour since the sandstorm had first receeded, but they'd made it through in the end. She looked towards Urbosa who was now breathing normally, despite being unconscious, as Buliara and Teake came up behind her.

"I can't believe we made it through all of that." Teake panted, looking behind her to the Gerudo and Hyrulean soldiers, and the Hylian merchants. Some of them were singed, but with those Ancient weapons the Hyrulean army had had, they had made it through. "And with no casualties to boot."

Behind them, Sidon let out a loud laugh, before collapsing backwards into the sand, "ZO ZO RA RA RA!" the exhausted Zora Prince called out as a loud cheer erupted through all the Hyruleans, Gerudo and Hylians alike patting each other on the back. Yunobo turned to Teba, "Up top Teba!" he raised his hand and Teba sighed, a relieved look passing over the white feathered Rito's features as he moved to clap his wing to Yunobo's hand, the Goron youth just smiling widely. Buliara moved further towards Urbosa and Riju, the young Gerudo Chief watching the commotion behind her, a tired look on her young face, but smiling nonetheless.

Buliara bent down to Urbosa, "Riju, we should probably move Lady Urbosa. It'll be dark soon, it's not safe out here."

"Of course." Riju turned to the others, "We need to move him too."

Teake grimaced as she glanced towards the Yiga blademaster who was still lying unconscious in the sands. "Yes, I suppose we should. He'll be a sitting heron out here if we don't." Buliara and Teake had tried rushing towards them when he had appeared earlier, but there were too many mini guardians around the groups at that point, they couldn't make it. Once they realised he had been on their side though, they had returned to their own fight, however unsure of it the two had been, while still keeping an eye on the group just incase.

Buliara carefully bent down, lifting Urbosa up carefully into her arms and then onto her back and Teake sighed as she approached the group of the representatives, looking down at the Yiga blademaster. " _Idiot_." she scolded lightly, "Don't know what he was thinking of, touching the Blade that Seals the Darkness like that. He's lucky it didn't completely evaporate him on the spot." The other group of soldiers and merchants were walking back to them, still loudly talking as they joined up with the group and Sidon looked up to Vah Ruta in the distance, as Yunobo looked to Rudania and Teba to Medoh.

Then in front of them, the mood shifted as a massive flash of smoke and flood of talismans filled the area, between the fully reunited group and Vah Naboris behind them. Immediately everyone was on alert, reading their weapons once more, as the Yiga Clan appeared, a large group of footsoldiers (but significantly smaller then the army of soldiers) and in front of them.. Riju swallowed nervously as she moved behind Buliara and Teake, lifting her hands around Urbosa's weapons as Sidon, Yunobo and Teba moved to them, lifting their own weapons too.

The man who appeared was bigger then the footsoldiers, but smaller then the blademasters, he looked almost the same height as Dorian himself was, and his outfit was very different then the blademasters too. Fancier, with a fancy yellow collar and a special mask to signify his rank, with three horns coming out each side. This had to be the leader of the Clan. The tall chubby man groaned as he stood up to his full height, cracking his neck a little before looking at the group in front of him.

"Hope you're not all expecting this party to be over just like that, are you?" the man spoke and Riju shuddered. The man had a jovial sounding tone to his voice but internally, Riju could just _feel_ the anger pouring off him.

"Give it up Yiga Clan!" Teake yelled as she rushed forwards, raising her moonlight scimitar and one of the Hylian captains moved forwards too, lifting their Ancient Spear, "You're thouroughly out matched! There are far more of us then there are of you!"

"Tsk tsk tsk." the Yiga Clan leader waggled a finger, "You see, that's where you're _wrong_. See, we Yiga have been biding our time, and we have a whole legion of our best blademasters just waiting to teleport in to completely destroy you worthless Hyruleans."

Just behind Kohga, Bant's hand was tightening on his duplex bow. Despite the anger he felt, he was genuinely scared right now. Of course, it was a bluff. They hadn't had the chance to recall anyone yet. They'd all been too stunned at the events that had occured right in front of them, especially Master Kohga who hadn't even reacted at all once Master Dorian had jumped into the fray. Near him, he could feel Arbiter's anger as he held onto his vicious sickle, his eyes locked onto Teake and Bant tried to not to shake as he held his bow and looked down to Dorian's unconscious body in the sands with all those people around him. ( _What in all of Calamity did the Hero even **DO** to him?!_)

"But.." Kohga was speaking to the group who were now warily eyeing around the sands, "As the leader of the Yiga Clan." he started to pose, "The strong! The burly!! The one!! The only!!! MASTER KOHGA HIMSELF.. I'm not interested in any of you. Our Lord the Great Calamity will surely destroy all of you itself anyway in due time.." Kohga looked down towards Dorian's unconscious body, "Instead I will be merciful to you, I will spare your miserable lives today." he glared at Urbosa's unconscious body, "I'll even spare that wretched Gerudo Champion too. And all you have to do for me is one thing." he pointed to Dorian, "Give us back the blademaster you _stole_ from us."

"NO WAY!!" the four representatives moved in front of Teake, Riju included, their hands tightening around their weapons. Riju spoke out, angrily, "I know what your Clan does with traitors, you're not taking him!!"

"DORIAN IS _NOT_ A TRAITOR!!" Kohga screeched out and the four representatives were stunned at the sheer almost _panic_ in the man's voice, "Your little 'Hero' was in our base earlier today, wasn't she?!" Kohga shrieked out, opening his arms, "They fought, and he barely survived the encounter! She clearly did something to him with those weird Sheikah slate powers of hers!" the man stamped his foot angrily, "What gives anyway?! How does a Hero come back from the dead and do all this in five months without any of us finding out about it?!"

The four representatives looked at each other stunned, and then back towards Dorian. Had he really been the only Yiga who knew about Link in all that time until Traysi's report had come out? Riju stepped forwards, "I don't care whether you see him as a traitor or not. Despite him attacking my people the other day, he didn't hurt a single one of us!" (Arbiter's hands shook on his vicious sickle as she spoke) "His actions here today and yesterday have proved that Dorian doesn't want to be with the Yiga Clan! As the Chief of the Gerudo, this man is under our protection!"

Sidon stepped forwards, "This man saved my life in Zora's Domain! As their future King, he is also under the protection of the Zora!" Teba and Yunobo stepped forwards too, Teba glaring at a certain Rito all the way in the back of the group of Yiga as he raised the Great Eagle Bow, "He also didn't harm anyone in the village, despite being at the stables when Medoh was being freed! I may not be anyone of importance in Rito Village, but I know we Rito will vouch for him too." Yunobo swallowed nervously, "A-ah.. I don't think Dorian did anything for us Gorons, but he fought alongside us today, and I see him as a friend, goro! And Gorons never turn their backs on their friends! S-so we Gorons vouch for Dorian too!"

" _WHAT IN ALL OF CALAMITY ARE YOU IDIOTS EVEN TALKING ABOUT?!_ " Kohga screeched as a group of talismans appeared, a large metal ball levitating above him, "Saved your life at Zora's Domain?! Was there at Medoh?! Dorian's done _nothing_ like that!! He's been training for over a year now, all to become our new leader!! He wouldn't have had the time to go gallavanting off across Hyrule like that!!"

Buliara and Teake's eyes widened as they looked to the unconscious blademaster in the sands. "So that's why that magic was different.." Buliara murmured, "he really _was_ the leader after all." Teake frowned, despite herself. Why would the Yiga Clan's new leader just betray the entire Clan like that? Clearly there was something else going on here, something the rest of them just weren't understanding.

Riju was glaring at Kohga, "Clearly you're the one not getting it Kohga. Let me explain it again, the only way you're getting him is if you go through us."

"FINE!!" Kohga screamed out as he levitated up above the sands, "You want this fight?! I'm more then happy to give it to you, little Chief!! This _war_ between the Yiga and Gerudo has been brewing for far longer then you could even possibly imagine!!" the Master cackled loudly, "Actually, you know what?! I'm _glad_ this happened, now I can finally take revenge on you for what that Chief did to me-- ah.. I mean _us_ all those years ago!!" He looked down to a certain footsoldier in the sands, "And I know someone here has been waiting an awful long time for this moment, haven't you Arbiter?"

Arbiter chuckled deeply as he rolled his vicious sickle in between his fingers, "You all can take the other soldiers, but leave Teake to me. I'm going to be the one who gets to slice her throat myself." Teake looked at the footsoldier, despair in her eyes as she realised who it was, "Arbiter..? Is that what you call yourself now?" the other footsoldiers stared at him in shock and Barta's hands especially shook around her Gerudo spear as she looked to her former friend. They'd both been more or less forced into the soldier programme, and had bonded over it. But while Barta had managed somehow, Arbiter had gotten more and more distant from the rest of them over the years, until he had left the town that fateful day.

Behind them the Hyrulean army were stepping forwards, raising their weapons once more. Bant looked desperately from the Hyrulean forces to their own pitiful forces. The might be able to take a few people out, but this was absolutely going to be a losing fight for the Yiga Clan.

Arbiter screamed out as he charged forwards and Kohga raised his arm up.. but then suddenly there was a clicking sound and all the Yiga footsoldiers were completely frozen. Arbiter's eyes were wide benath his mask and Bant couldn't even yell. Kohga desperately turned around, still levitating high in the air as his eyes widened behind his mask.

Coming out of Vah Naboris, levitating right there in the sky a deep blue glow surrounding her body, her entire eyes glowing blue was the little Hero herself.

"Stasis.." Kohga murmured as he looked down at his frozen footsoldiers, "This is the first time I've seen it for myself. Good thing I taught myself and Dorian that anti stasis magic, I had no idea it could be used on multiple targets at once though.." he looked at the Hero in front of him as he rose his voice, "Well there you finally are little Hero reborn." she was a lot smaller then he thought she would be, but that was fine. "I really thought for a moment that you would just let all these people _die_ for you." he chuckled as he shrugged, nothing how the little Hero's eyes narrowed at him, "Oh well, I've wanted to meet you personally myself for a long time anyway. We didn't get any time at all in the base before you teleported away like the little _coward_ you are." he spread his arms to her, "I'll offer the same to you. Let us take Dorian, and I'll spare your little army here."

"What, so you can warp and break his mind some more?" The Hero spat coldly, "Completely destroy him with your monster and malice lies so there's nothing left of him, like that Gerudo Rito and Hylian in your Clan? I don't think so Kohga." The Yiga Clan leader froze at her words as the Hyruleans behind him began to murmur between themselves ("Monster and malice lies..?"). How did she _know_ all of this?

"What are you talking about?!" he spat, as the anger in him magnified tenfold, "How dare you, little whelp of a Hero, all I've done is tell them the _truth_ about their own past, their culture, their history!"

"This all started because of you." the Hero was speaking as she levitated closer to him and Kohga shuddered as he backed away slightly, the anger in him felt like _nothing_ compared to the anger she was radiating. "Don't get me wrong, your mother was a terrible person too, but at least her version of the Clan didn't include religious brainwashing and this ritual you force on your recruits and helpless _children_."

( _WHAT?!_ ) Kohga recoiled in shock as he trembled, despite himself. It had been almost one hundred years since her death, but just the mention of his mother made him feel like that terrified little boy in front of the pedestal once more, wondering if this time she was finally going to kill him. He shook, eyes wide, staring back at the Hyruleans who were now viciously glaring at him. They had no idea what this ritual was, but the moment the Hero had mentioned children, they had all raised their weapons once more, moving forwards to him. Kohga swallowed nervously. He had no idea what was going on, but he was completely out of his depth. Despite himself, he still looked to the still unconscious Dorian desperately, remembering that first moment back in the infirmary with Dot and Eldah.. Kohga grit his teeth behind his mask. He wasn't going to lose this fight. He would _not_ let Dorian go, not _now_. He had lost enough time as it was. Kohga still had to tell him--!

Kohga shook his head, shaking the thoughts out as he turned back to the Hero, raising his voice as much as he could as he bellowed out to her, "Did you forget what I said Hero?! I have a plethora of blademasters in the waiting." he looked down at his still frozen footsoldiers, "You won't be able to use stasis on all of them! And besides.." he levitated higher out of reach for the army below, putting distance between himself and the Hero, "You can't use stasis on me!" he raised his arm as the metal ball levitated higher too.

"Yeah, I know I can't use stasis on you." the Hero spoke cooly and she raised her arms, "But I can do _this_."

Kohga's completely froze as the four Divine Beasts started to moved their heads towards him (Rudania's head opening up like a flower) before red beams started to spark at Ruta, Rudania, Medoh and Naboris's heads. He stared desperately at the Hero in front of him, her blue eyes cold and calculating and Kohga shook.

"You _CAN'T_!!" he screamed hoarsely, desperately, "You would destroy this entire desert!! Your little army down there too!!"

The girl's head cocked to the side, "You think so? Want to prove it?" the red beams grew stronger as they focused right on Kohga.

"YOU'RE THE LEGENDARY HERO!!" Kohga screamed, despite himself.

"Right now I am your ancestor." the 'Hero' spoke quietly and Kohga was stunned once more. (Ancestor..? What was she talking about?) "I may not have been able to do anything back then, but right now I can stop this miserable clan from getting any worse." (What.. what was _this_? _Who_ was this?!) "Even if I have to _kill_ my own descendent to do so."

Kohga looked around him, at the four Divine Beasts, as their lasers turned from red.. to dark blue. "FINE, YOU WIN!! WE'LL LEAVE, JUST _STOP_!!" His own mind was screaming at him.. but he couldn't risk the damage it would do to the frozen Clan members down there.. and to his own.. Kohga swallowed painfully, but he glared at the Hero in front of him, levitating over to her, "This isn't over 'Hero'. The Yiga Clan never forget, we never forgive. You've made an enemy for _life_ today."

The Hero sighed as the four Divine Beasts lasers deactivated, then she looked at him miserably as her eyes changed to a deep green colour (and for a moment Kohga was startled. She almost looked like the younger Dot that day Kohga had found him back in Hyrule Field..) "It doesn't have to be this way Master Kohga." the Hero murmured, "The Calamity.. is not going to be what you _think_ it is." the girl had a painful look on her face. "Even now, I still believe the Yiga Clan can change and become better."

Kohga laughed deeply, "What a mad little trainee you are. There's nothing to change ourselves from. Those Hyruleans down there, they might see you as the Hero, but you're _not_. We're the good guys here, _you're_ the villain who's come to destroy our Great Lord." he cocked his head lightly to the side, "In time, you'll realise that too."

Link.. the Hero just smiled sadly as she released the stasis and Kohga grit his teeth beneath his mask as he teleported away, the rest of the clan following him back to Kurasa Valley. Link sighed as she placed her hand to her chest, levitating back down to the desert sands, "Chi, I know you were bluffing but did you have to go that far?"

(Chi scoffed. | _"Oh please. As if he wasn't bluffing too. Don't know what that brat was thinking, trying to outbluff the master."_ )

Link came to land on the desert sands, looking up at the army in front of her. "LIIIINK!!" the four representatives were rushing over to her, and Riju wrapped her arms around Link's shoulders as Link swallowed painfully, looking at them. They hadn't even realised when they'd used the Bow of Light back then.. Link just smiled widely, "Alright?"

"YEAH!!" Yunobo was looking at her amazed, "That was amazing how you chased off that scary Yiga guy!" Link just chuckled, a little sadly before glancing up at Naboris behind her. She could feel all of them now, her abilites through the slate completely activated, and she pulled it free from her belt, looking down at it as she moved to the map. There it was, all 115 teleport spots all across Hyrule fully activated. Of course, the final one inside Hyrule Castle was still blocked, but that was fine. There was a teleport spot just outside near Castle Town, and she could easily take care of any guardians now with her purify magic. ( _What now?_ she thought numbly to herself _Do I just.. go to the castle?_ )

In front of them, Urbosa gasped as her eyes flew open once more, taking in deep breaths and Buliara carefully put the Gerudo Champion down. Behind them, they could hear groaning and Yunobo turned to see Daruk scratching his head as he headed towards the group. "Grandpa!!" Yunobo sobbed as he rushed towards the Goron Champion, practically bowling him over as Daruk yelled out, "Woah, Yunobo!!" he looked up, glancing at Urbosa who looked over at him tiredly, before giving her a thumbs up, "Alright Urbosa?" and the Gerudo Champion just nodded.

Sidon and Teba turned to their respective Champion's Beasts.. but neither Mipha or Revali were appearing from them. Sidon tensed, "I'm going over there." and Teba nodded sharply, moving the Great Eagle Bow to his back, moving to take off, but Link spoke up, "It's alright, they're fine, I'll get them now." she tapped the Sheikah slate's device, before scrolling up on the map, taking it to a new state, which now showed the internal blueprints for all four Divine Beasts. Link placed two fingers on Ruta and Medoh, before scrolling the tips upwards and two blue teleportation lights appeared in the sands, before Mipha and Revali appeared from them. The two Champion looked wildly around, before realising Link was in front of them and Link smiled, raising her hand to them.

"Look at us! All back together again!" Daruk laughed happily and the rest of the group jumped as he came towards them, grabbing all three of them at once as he pulled them into a hug. "Daruk..!" Mipha cried out and Revali let out a sigh, crossing his wings over his chest, but didn't pull away. Urbosa just laughed. Sidon had his hands over his mouth and Mipha smiled at her brother, "Alright Sidon?" Sidon moved one hand up to his face, rubbing his eyes as he nodded and Teba just sighed, taking the Great Eagle Bow from his back as he moved to give it back to Revali who took the bow, nodding at Teba. Riju just smiled widely and Link sighed, coming to sit in the sands as she looked at the slate once more.

The terse situation with the Yiga had been completely broken now thanks to Daruk and the Hylians and Gerudo went back to chatting to themselves as Teake called out, "Any vai Hylian soldiers can come rest in the town's inn free of charge tonight only, voe will have to stay in Kara Kara Bazaar and the Gerudo Canyon Stable."

In front, Barta reached out, slapping Beedle's shoulder. "You're one cool voe Beedle, your arrows really helped out there, it's too bad we really can't break the rules even for someone like you."

Beedle laughed, "That's fine!" he eyed the Hylian soldiers who were heading towards Kara Kara Bazaar, "Besides, look at all these potential customers I can sell too now!"

Vilia just sighed as she looked at the pile of destroyed guardians, "Look at this mess.. who's going to clean this up anyway?" the Hylian glanced to Beedle as the two merchants started heading back to Kara Kara Bazaar, but then Barta called out to them again, "Hey, Vilia, didn't you hear? Vai can come stay at the town, that includes you." Vilia turned sharply, looking at Barta with her red eyes. "I.." the Hylian spoke quietly, looking at the other soldiers too, who she had fought with, "..Is that really okay?" she pressed her hand down on her veil as she glanced away from them.

"Of course it's okay!" Barta said, smiling widely, "You're a vai aren't you?" Tears leaked at Vilia's eyes and Beedle patted her back as he gave her a thumbs up, before heading forwards into Kara Kara Bazaar himself. Vilia just smiled widely, as she headed back to them, nodding and speaking out, "Yes! I am a woman.. ah, vai." and the Hylian vai and the Gerudo soldiers started to head back to the town with the other Gerudo and the few Hylian vai soldiers too.

Buliara let out a small cough as she approached Riju once more, as well as the other representatives, the Champions (who Daruk still had in a giant hug) and Link. "Lady Riju." the Guard Captain spoke out, "We should really get back to town too. It'll be nightfall soon."

Daruk sighed as he dropped the other three Champions back to the sands, "We were all just reunited and now we have to seperate again."

"I'm sorry Lord Daruk." Buliara spoke apologetically, "Our rule is quite strict. We can't make exceptions even for you Champions."

"It's fine." Revali spoke out as he turned his Great Eagle Bow in his wing inspecting it, "We all knew this a century ago. It's just how things are here in Gerudo Town."

Mipha frowned as she looked to Ruta, still half stuck in the desert sands. "It's going to take so long to pull them out of the sands.. for now, I think it would be best to do as they say and go to Gerudo Town and the Bazaar."

Link chuckled and they looked at her, "I can help with that." she tapped the Sheikah slate once more, four times, and the four Divine Beasts started to glow a deep blue.. before disappearing into streams of light completely. Revali gasped, his feet stepping forward in the desert sands to where Medoh had been, unable to believe his eyes, just seeing the dent in the sand where Medoh had been laying previously. The Rito Champion turned back to Link before yelling out almost indiginatly, "What did you _do_?!" the other three looked at her confused as she raised the Sheikah slate, showing them the blueprints of the Divine Beasts in the screen of the slate. Before, the four images of the Divine Beasts had been hollow, but now they glowed the same blue the Divine Beasts had before they disappeared.

Sidon gasped. It was just like how she had stored all those weapons into the slate back at Zora's Domain. "You _stored_ all four Divine Beasts into the slate?" the Zora prince spoke and the four Champions turned to him, eyes wide, before turning back to Link. Poor Revali just started spluttering indignatly once more, "You _stored_ the entirety of Medoh and all that raw energy into that one tiny Sheikah slate?!"

Link just chuckled as she nodded. "Ah.. this Sheikah slate.." she glanced down at it in her hands, "See, ten thousand years ago it was used to create the Divine Beasts. It's runes are really powerful and it has an unlimited storage for all kinds of weapons." she lifted the Sheikah slate once more, pulling the three weapons, the Master Sword, Bow of Light and Dragon's Shield back into it too. "That's why it was designed with unlimited storage in the first place. Because it was used to store the entire weight of the Divine Beasts it was creating."

"Hm.." Urbosa pondered. She really had no idea what was going on but.. "I suppose that makes sense."

Link looked at them once more, her eyes flashing blue, "I can even drop the Divine Beasts anywhere you like in Hyrule, and teleport you Pilots too and from it, just like I did so now."

Riju glanced up where Naboris had been, "You can even Pilot them yourselves, just like you did right now.."

"YOU _WHAT_?!" Revali shrieked, but the others ignored him.

"Nnn.." Link shut her eyes, "Not.. really. I can charge their lasers and use their energy, their powers, but I can't really 'pilot' them in the way the Pilots do. I can't actually move the Divine Beast itself outside of storing and placing them down in Hyrule. It's not that kind of connection, not an entire connection like the Pilots have with their spirits."

'The _what_ now?' Urbosa mouthed to Daruk and the Goron just grinned apologetically.

Link lifted her hand, her eyes flashing blue as she wrote text into the Sheikah slate and then summoned a sphere of water from Ruta. The others just gaped at her. "I think the person who made the Divine Beasts had this as some sort of.." she paused for a moment, "safety precaution I guess?" Link moved to stand up as she disconnected the connection. "If anything were to happen to the Pilots, then there would be a way to use the Divine Beasts without them.. just in case."

Daruk sighed, crossing his arms, "Yeah, I think Fire mentioned something like that."

"Fire..?" Link turned to him.

"Oh yeah, that's what I've started calling the spirit in my Divine Beast. They had no objections to the name. I came up with names for the rest of yours too, I thought they were fitting." Daruk puffed out his chest, "Water, Wind and Thunder."

"Not very original huh.." Revali just scoffed, glancing away from the group.

Link laughed, scratching her chin a little, "Anyway, I think we should move this conversation somewhere. It _is_ getting dark, and we really need to get out of the desert."

Mipha nodded, "Then we should head back to Kakariko, that was the original plan after all."

" _No._ " Link swallowed painfully as Teake returned, now carrying the still unconscious Dorian back to the group. Even now, she remembered Chi's words that her twin had told her. "Kakariko isn't safe. We'd be putting the whole village in danger."

Urbosa followed their eyes.. and balked at the Yiga blademaster. Urbosa crossed her arms, as she looked at the worried looks of the girl, and the four representatives as they looked at the blademaster, "..I really missed a lot here, didn't I?" she glanced at Riju, "I suppose since none of you are attacking this Yiga that he's on our side?"

Riju nodded, "That's right. Dorian here betrayed the entire clan to save us and you." Riju sighed, "Even though he stole the Thunder Helm and was going to be their new leader.."

"Their new--?!" Urbosa turned sharply, studying the Yiga blademaster for a moment before speaking quietly, "..Just like Jaq huh?" she shut her eyes for a moment and Link just looked at her with a sad expression on her face.

"So.. where should we go?" that was Mipha speaking.

(Chi spoke out to Link. | _"Lake Hylia. Send Ruta there and then teleport the entire group inside the Divine Beast."_ )

Link looked up as she tapped the Sheikah slate on Ruta's visage, before bringing up the map of Hyrule's screen, "I know where we can go."

\---

About an hour later as the stars were starting to come out over Lake Hylia, the massive towering Ruta just standing right _there_ in the middle of the lake, the group had finally managed to bring Urbosa up to speed with what had been happening and the group of ten stood inside Ruta near the blue furnace. Zora Champion and Representative, Mipha and Sidon, Goron Champion and Representative, Daruk and Yunobo, Rito Champion and Representative, Revali and Teba, Gerudo Champion and Representative Urbosa and Riju as well as Link, the one who posssessed the Sheikah slate and the still unconscious once future Yiga Clan leader Dorian.

Urbosa sighed deeply as she glanced contemplatively at the furnace. "I cannot believe so much has happened."

( _"It's a lot take in, isn't it mistress?"_ | the voice of her spirit as Daruk had affectionally refered to it 'Thunder' called to her. Her particular spirit seemed like a rather frantic one. It's thoughts seemed to be all over the place. | _"I was really worried for a moment back there you know? Even though I wasn't taken over like the Calamity tried to do with my bretheren, but I am so glad that the two of us have finally been reunited after all these years!"_ | the spirit almost let out a sob. | _"Even if I was the last one to have my Pilot be saved..!"_ )

Urbosa ran her fingers through her red hair. How had the other Champions been putting up with this all this time? And why had these Ancient Sheikah spirits not communicated with them like this a century ago?

Her eyes moved to Link who was looking down at her Sheikah slate, frowning as she tapped through the states. Looking at the girl now, she wondered how the other Champions had gone so long without realising she was their Link's descendent? They looked so alike, it seemed very obvious to Urbosa. But all of this had occured in the first place because of her and that slate. The girl had mentioned there was a voice who spoke to her through it much like their own spirits, so maybe that was why they had first started talking to them?

The girl hadn't left the side of the Yiga blademaster since they had all been moved here to Ruta and Urbosa glanced at him. The Yiga blademaster looked to be in his mid fourties although he looked older likely due to stress of being in that clan and had a small dyed black beard and side burns. _Future Yiga Clan leader.._ Urbosa sighed internally. It had been a shock when Link had explained how much the Clan had changed and their new mentality, how they suddenly seemingly believed that _their_ ancestor was the Calamity, instead of the Gerudo's.

The last Urbosa had known it was Jaq's sister, Iga (who had renamed herself Kohga out of spite for her defected older brother) who was leading the Clan. As far as Urbosa had known, Iga hadn't had any children either. Urbosa frowned. How had the Clan changed _so much_ in just one hundred years? It didn't seen _possible_ to her.

"So.." Daruk was saying, breaking the silence, "what do we do now?"

"I guess.." Mipha clung to her Lightscale Trident, "we go to the castle?"

Urbosa sighed, "We _do_ have the four Divine Beasts, as well as Link and the Master Sword.."

Revali let out a 'tsk' as he crossed his wings over his chest, glancing out at the other Champions, "You're all forgetting one thing aren't you?"

The others glanced at him and each of them looked miserable before glancing away. "We haven't forgotten Revali.." Mipha spoke quietly.

The four representatives looked between themselves and back at the Champions. "You're talking about the Princess aren't you goro.." Yunobo spoke quietly.

Revali's wings tightened and Urbosa covered her mouth with her hands as Teba looked at him Revali with a sympathetic look in his eyes and Riju placed one of her own tiny hands on Urbosa's back comfortingly. Sidon sighed out, crossing his own arms, "She survived right? That's what you said Urbosa? Maybe we should search all the Hylian settlements for her descendent. With the teleportation functions of the Sheikah slate fully operational it would be easy to split up and search for her."

Link's hands tightened around the Sheikah slate as she swallowed, green eyes looking at them. Urbosa just sighed, "..Should we? If Zelda does indeed have a descendent, they likely wouldn't know anything about their past and history just like Link did back in Lurelin." Urbosa glanced at Link, "What if they're even _younger_ then Link? We can't expect a child to go riding with us into battle to defeat an ancient evil with powers she has no idea about."

Link looked back to the Sheikah slate. ( _"Voice? Are you there? What do we do now? I know you said to go to the Castle as soon as the Divine Beasts' Pilots were free, but I think we're even more confused about what to do now. They seem to think that without the Princess we won't be able to seal away the Calamity properly.."_ )

There was a groan from behind her and Link's head shot around as did the others. "..Dorian?" Link moved over to him as he began to stir and relief poured through her, "Thank the--" she paused. Calamity? Goddess? He wouldn't like any of those would he..

"..You've really done it, haven't you Hero?" Dorian spoke, and Link blinked a little in confusion. There was something _off_ about Dorian's voice. He had an ethereal tone to him almost like.. "I knew you would. I knew you would free the four Divine Beasts." 'Dorian' turned to the group and Link gasped. Dorian's entire eyes were glowing orange now, not just the irises like before. "Back then though, when I first gave you the device, I never expected that the Pilots would be alive too. You've really surpassed even _my_ expecations."

Link stepped back, her own eyes flashing blue in recognition. "..Voice?" her hands tightened around the Sheikah slate. The voice possessing Dorian glanced to her and raised one of his hands to his chest, "Oh sorry, Hero. You've been hearing me for so long in the slate that I suppose you wouldn't recognise me in this form." he pressed his hand to his chest, bowing to her a little, "Let me formally introduce myself to you now then."

He stood back up straight, glancing over the Champions and representatives before speaking out to them once more, "My name is Maz Koshia. Along with my twin Chi Koshia I created the very first device to channel Sheikah rune magic, the 'Sheikah slate' as your modern Sheikah dubbed it. I am also the creator of the Divine Beasts you Pilot, as well as the Shrine of Resurrection."

"The Shrine of Resurrection.." Urbosa crossed her arms as she leaned against Ruta's wall, "That was that healing chamber Purah and Robbie found a century ago?" 'Maz' seemed to ignore her words as he glanced back towards Link. 

"Maz Koshia.." Link's face broke into a wide smile as she rushed over to him, "I can't belive I finally know your name. Ah!" she stepped back, her eyes wide, "Is it.. okay that you're using Dorian's body to talk to me like this? After what happened back at the Hideout.."

'Maz Koshia' nodded. "I asked for Dorian's permission before I took him over. I needed to speak to you personally, to tell you where you need to go next."

Link's face immidiately became crestfallen, "Next..? Is there still more to be done? I thought we were going to the Castle.."

"Soon, Hero, soon." Maz stepped over to Link, pointing to the Sheikah slate. "It is unwise for me to use the slate in this form, but please bring out the map's projection for all of us to see."

Link moved over to the state that had the map, before pressing her palm on the screen and scrolling it up, bringing out the map's projection in front of the entire group just like she had back in Zora's Domain after Ruta when it had first been fixed. The updated projection map of Hyrule was laid in front of the group (with all of its new teleport spots) and Maz stepped towards it, pointing to one area of land without any teleport spots. Link gasped that was..

"The Great Plateau?"

She remembered this. She remembered how she had noticed the area of land back at Zora's Domain and how it alone had no shrines/teleport spots and how the voice.. Maz Koshia had scolded her for that realistion. She remembered seeing the area again when she had teleported to Lake Hylia, how it was completely blanketed by a thick fog..

Maz nodded, "This is where I need you to come next. Thankfully my twin already had the same idea and told you to come here to Lake Hylia." he pointed to the Sheikah slate, "You can set down the other Divine Beasts back in their respective areas and teleport their Champions to them, but unfortunately I do need you to come alone. I need to speak with you personally."

"Why alone?" Urbosa stepped towards Link, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder, "All of us Champions are in this plan together, wouldn't it be better to have all of us come?"

Dorian's head shook, as the glow of his orange eyes glanced to Urbosa, "I am sorry, but that's just not possible. You may be Pilots but it would be.." he hesitated for a moment, " _unwise_ for you four to come all the way. The spirits in your Divine Beast understand that."

Daruk shut his eyes. ( _"..Is that true Fire?"_ | the spirit hesitated. | _"..Koshia is this okay? You really want the Hero on the Plateau now?"_ )

"It's fine." Maz spoke out. "Unfortunately there is more that needs to be done, that even you spirits do not know about. Also.." Koshia sighed, closing Dorian's eyes, "Fire.. hnn. Well, at least you aren't calling it Fire _blight_ I suppose."

(The spirit choked, a disgusted feeling passing through him as he realised what Koshia was implying. | _"MAZ!!"_ )

Daruk just stared at the possessed Sheikah in front of him, not really understanding, but nodding a little anyway.

Maz didn't react, turning back to Link, "Anyway, Hero, now that you understand, I'll need you to come to the Great Plateau."

"Wait." Mipha frowned as she stepped forwards, "Can't she rest first? It's been an exhausting day for Link, the Yiga Clan mission, and then Naboris.."

Koshia sighed, "There's a little hut on the Plateau, with a bed she can rest in for tonight-" (Link jolted. The old man that she spoke to back in Korok Forest?!) "-but she has to come tomorrow. It's very important. We can't delay any longer."

The other Champions were staring at him, ranging from confused (Daruk) to sadened (Mipha) to annoyed (Revali) to outright furious (Urbosa).

Koshia crossed Dorian's arms, "..Fine. You can stay on the Plateau tonight. But only you four. And you must be gone by tomorrow." his tilted his head sharply at the four representatives, "I must insist that they cannot come though."

"That's fine." Riju huffed, moving to stand.

Link turned to look at them sadly, "Riju.."

Riju smiled, "It's okay Link. We've supported you as much as we can, and we know this isn't your fault." the Gerudo child glared at the possessed Sheikah. Link moved back to the group and Riju hugged her. Sidon then bent down, wrapping both arms around the two girls and Yunobo did the same around him and the two. Teba just reached out, touching Link's shoulder, "Be safe Link, alright?" Link nodded and swallowed, "You all as well." the four pulled away from her and she reached out, tapping the Sheikah slate, teleporting the four back to their respective homes.

Koshia nodded, "Good. Then I will see you soon Hero." Link's hands tightened around the slate. Hero.. when had he switched back to that instead of Link? (She tried not to think about her name right now though..)

Dorian shuddered and staggered slightly back as Koshia's presence left him, his orange eyes turning back to their usual grey and Link placed the slate back on her belt as she swallowed nervously. "..Dorian?"

The four Champions stepped backwards, giving Link a little privacy as Dorian shuddered again, coming to sit down, leaning on the wall of Ruta. He looked _exhausted_ and Link felt a pang of compassion and familitary for that feeling.

Dorian's eyes tried to focus, but it felt like the world was spinning around him until finally.. he realised Link was sitting in front of him. An intense feeling of guilt entered him (that last memory back in the desert blazing hotly through him before he had passed out, as if it had just _happened_ and not the memory of what had happened almost six years ago now..) as he focused on her, "..Link."

The girl smiled, "..Alright Dorian?"

"Yeah. Just.." Dorian shut his eyes for a moment, "..tired. That's all." he reopened his eyes, looking around the inside of the Divine Beast, "..We're in Ruta aren't we?" his eyes moved to the Champions, noting Urbosa.

Link nodded, "We're in Lake Hylia right now."

"What happened, back in the desert? I see you've freed the Gerudo Champion, but.. did I miss anything else?"

Link swallowed, "The Yiga Clan. They tried to take you back."

Dorian sighed, wearily, "Of course they did. They probably want me dead right now after what I did back there."

"I don't.." Link frowned, rememering the sheer panic Kohga had been radiating back there, "I don't think they would have killed you. They seemed to believe I _did_ something to you that forced you to betray them. They just wanted you back with the Clan. I think they would take you back, even now if you went back.." Dorian just scoffed, a disgusted feeling passing over him. "..Dorian." Link continued quietly, her fingers tightening over the slate, "..You're not going to go back there, are you?"

"No." Dorian sighed, looking at her with tired grey eyes, "That part of my life is over now."

In front of them, Urbosa nodded approvingly.

"..Where will you go now then? I.. I know you can't go back to Kakariko, not now at least, not until we get rid of the Calamity but.."

"I'm not going back to Kakariko." Dorian spoke firmly and Link looked at him with wide eyes, "Not now. And not in the future either."

"Dorian..!" Link wailed, tears filling her eyes, "But what about your _family_?"

Oh.. Urbosa shut her eyes painfully. _Exactly_ like Jaq then.

"Link." Dorian looked at her, pulling back from her a little, "I can't go back there. I'm sorry, but they wouldn't forgive me just like that.. and I don't expect them too. Not after everything I've done." Dorian sighed regretfully, "The only being in this world of Hyrule who could give me forgiveness at this point would be your Goddess." he laughed almost bitterly, "And to be honest, I don't even deserve that."

"Y-you just have to explain to them!" Link stammered, looking at him, "Tell them how you were planning to destroy the Yiga Clan from inside, they'll understand they'll--"

" _Link._ " Dorian spoke, cutting her off. There was such a defeated tone to his voice that it was painful.

All four Champions were staring at the Yiga in front of them incredulously. Destroy the Yiga Clan from the inside?! Is that what he had been trying to do?! Urbosa shut her eyes again as she stepped away from the group, shuddering heavily. To think that such the Yiga Clan had become so bad in a century that one of their own would do this to themselves..

"Link." Dorian continued, and he glanced at her tiredly, "You don't.." he chuckled, "you don't _understand_. I wasn't a good person even before I met Kiyah. And the things I've done since.." he looked down at his own weary hands, remembering that night back in his own quarters as he sighed, "Becoming a blademaster, the missions you have to go on.. you're just a child, you wouldn't understand.. you've gone through your entire journey so far without hurting a single person." he glanced up at the Champions, "You saved all of them, despite them being stuck in those malice forms." he smiled sadly, "You even refused to hurt _me_ your enemy." Dorian just chuckled miserably, looking right into the girl's tearstricken eyes, "Link. I've _killed_ people. Innocent people who did nothing wrong."

Link shut her own eyes, taking in a deep breath, before reopening them again, "I _know_."

"Link..!" Dorian just stared at her.

"You're a clan of assassins." Link placed her own hands in her lap, "Thats what you were even before you became.. _this_." Link looked at Dorian and he was surprised by the firm look in her green eyes, "I think.. that what truly matters is that we keep being better people, each and every day. We might not be able to be forgiven by the people we hurt.. we might not even forgive ourselves but.. as long as we keep trying to be better then we were yesterday, then that's the most important thing right?"

In front of them, Mipha had her hand over her mouth, watching Link as tears filled her eyes. Daruk scratched his head, this was all a little over him to be honest. Revali scoffed, but even he appeared to be choking up a little. Urbosa just had her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes tightly shut.

Dorian was stunned at her words, but chuckled despite himself as he placed his face in his hands, "..When did you get so smart Link?"

Link reached out, gently touching one of Dorian's hands. "Please, don't just wander around without anywhere to go Dorian. I know a place you can go to, a new settlement back in Akkala that I've been corresponding with over the months thanks to Kass. Tell them you're a friend of mine and they should let you stay in the inn for free."

Dorian sighed. He was defeated yet again thanks to her will and kindness. "..Alright, guess I could go check it out. What's the name of this new settlement anyway?"

\---

Link stretched out and yawned a little as she stepped onto the Great Plateau. It was still dark and the fog here was just as bad as it had been before, although she could just barely see the little hut in front of her and her heart lifted a bit. But there was something nagging at her in the back of her mind..

Behind her, the four Champions walked into the area. "Look at this place." Revali was saying, "It's like a ghost town." he glanced at the barely visible Temple of Time in the distance. "Completely falling apart."

"Stop it Revali." Urbosa scolded, looking at the other three buildings in front of the temple whose roofs were caving in a little, "We're lucky this place is still standing as it is. It's honestly a miracle the guardians never got up here."

Mipha nodded, "The Great Plateau just needs a fresh coat of paint and some special care, and this place will be back to new in no time at all. We won't have to completely rebuild it like Central Hyrule and it's settlements."

Daruk looked out at the area, scratching his head a little, "Feels like just yesterday that we were all here with the tiny Princess and the little guy."

The other Champions just sighed as they looked back to the Plateau, seemingly lost in their own memories, but Link was stepping forwards calling to the hut, "Old man! Sorry for waking you up, but I finally reached it, the Great Plateau you told me about! Are you here?"

Urbosa looked at her, "Link, who are you talking to?"

Link turned to them, "The old man! I met him back in Korok Forest before I got the Sheikah slate and the Master Sword, he said he was the caretaker of this place and that it was a job passed down through his family."

The Champions looked at each other confused, "..Caretaker?" Urbosa spoke out, "There's no specific caretaker for the Great Plateau. It's under the protection of the Royal Family. The Hyrulean army used to look after this place and keep up its maintenance."

There was a sudden chuckle near them and Link's eyes widened before she rushed forwards to the hut. The fireplace was suddenly roaring and lit up (Link was certain that it hadn't been like that before) and Link stopped in front of it, seeing him once more, just like he had been almost five months ago, sitting beside the cooking pot, using his lantern to stir the flames. The man with the heavy brown cloak clothing, cloak and hood and his thick white beard.. Link swallowed painfully as all the mising pieces in her mind seemed to click into place at once.

"I.. I know who you are."

The four Champions were coming behind up her and the man raised his lantern, lifting his head to them, so they could see his face. "Hello again Champions. It's good to see the four of you somehow survived that terrible event a century ago."

Urbosa shuddered and the others around her let out loud gasps of shock. "..Rhoam."


	27. The Great Plateau Part II - (G)old Courage

Back in the same disguise magic he had used to infiltrate Lurelin (just that simple mass displacement spell to make himself look shorter), Dorian looked at the sign leading to the little settlement in the center of the Akkala region, the strange looking town on the middle of an high island in Lake Akkala, connected to the mainland by a small arch bridge. "Tarrey Town.." he murmured softly to himself. Dorian liked to think he knew a lot about Hyrule and its various settlements now, but he had never even _heard_ of this place.

The Sheikah glanced up to the town. The houses were like those strange new houses they had back in Hateno, made of strange blocks that had been cobbled together and had had a roof slapped on top and in the middle of the town.. Dorian grimaced despite himself. Of course they would still have a Goddess Statue, even in a brand new settlement like this one. Sighing a little, Dorian glanced up north. The last time he had been in Akkala was when he had been trying to kindap Link.. and she had been pulled into the Shrine of Power. Dorian frowned. It had only been a few months since then, but he felt like a completely different person now from the one he had been back then. And yet.. not that different at all as he glanced back at the Goddess Statue.

Forcing down his bitter feelings, as the stars shone above him, Dorian stepped into Tarrey Town, heading for the inn.

\---

The four Champions, Rhoam and Link were sitting around the cooking pot. Link had a whole bunch of ingredients pulled from the slate that the four were choosing from, so many it was honestly overwhelming. Sadly nothing for Daruk though, but Daruk just shrugged as he picked up a Diamond from the pile (asking Link if that was okay first which she nodded at), albeit wincing a little as he chewed on the gem.

A while later they all had something, Urbosa having picked some meat Hylian Rice and Goron Spice, making a simple meat curry, Revali having taken a hearty salmon, rock salt, goat butter and Hylian rice, having made a salmon risotto, Mipha having taken a bottle of fresh milk, Tabantha wheat, goat butter and a few swift carrots, making carrot stew and finally Link who had just taken a slice of raw meat, Hyrule bass and a few spicy peppers, making spicy meat and seafood fry. She looked to Rhoam, swallowing a little.

"A-ah.. sir?" the King glanced at her, "D-do you want something..?" Goddess, she couldn't control her stammering and she looked away embarassed. "I-I'm sorry, you probably can't eat, I.. I just remembered you were able to back in the forest s-so.."

The King chuckled a little, "That's alright Link. I'm able to eat in this form, it doesn't really do anything for me though, and I can't really taste it anyway."

"I.. see." Link swallowed as she looked down at her meal.

"Rhoam." Urbosa spoke out as she lowered her fork, "Let's not beat around the bush any longer. _How_ are you here?"

He chuckled, "To be honest, I'm not exactly sure myself Urbosa." Rhoam glanced up into the starful sky, "I don't remember much after I died there beside you there in the library. I thought I would pass onto the Spirit Realm but.. the next thing I knew I was here on the Great Plateau."

Link's hand tightened on her plate, thinking of Jaq, "Do you.. have regrets?" she spoke quietly. Rhoam just laughed loudly and Link flushed in embarassment, burying her head in her plate as she ate. "Sorry.. that was a dumb question." Link muttered, "It's just.. I met a spirit not too long ago who hadn't passed on." Link pondered, "Although.. I guess that was a completely different situation. He already passed onto the Spirit Realm, but then came back, thanks to my slate." Link looked up at Urbosa and Rhoam, "His name was Jaq."

They both stared at her incredously and Rhoam hummed, "Jaq hm.."

Link continued, "He's passed on now though. He told me what he needed to tell me back then when I was at the Yiga Clan hideout, so he went back to the Spirit Realm."

Rhoam nodded thoughtfully, "I see.. I'll have to talk with him about it when I finally get there." Rhoam sighed as he looked into the sky, "My beloved wife and daughter too.."

Urbosa just shook terribly, placing her meat curry down as she looked away from Rhoam. The other Champions looked miserable too. Link's hands tightened around her meal, "..How do you know?"

"..Link." Mipha let out an almost pleading reply.

"No!" Link raised her voice, looking at them, her eyes stricken with tears, "How do _any_ of you know?! My grandmother Aryll, she's still alive!"

"Link." Daruk placed a hand on Link's shoulder as she shook terribly, "Hylians just don't _live_ that long, not like Zora and Sheikah do. Aryll must be.. what, 106 years old now? Zelda would be even _older_ , 117 years old." he was trying to be as gentle as possible and Revali just let out a small 'tsk' as he ate his salmon risotto.

Rhoam was speaking to them, gently, "..Not long after I reached the Great Plateau, I figured out how to move my spirit and get to other places. This entire time I've been searching Hyrule, all the settlements, and not just Hylian settlements either, as many as I could find." he let out a sigh, "But after all these years I still haven't been able to find her." he glanced up at Link, "I found your grandmother you know, Aryll, back in Hateno when she was still a little girl." the man sighed, "I was so relieved at least one of our families had made it out of Castle Town okay."

Link swallowed (had it been _his_ memory she had seen of her parents back at Lurelin?) "So you knew who I was too, when I showed up at Korok Forest?"

Rhoam nodded, "Forgive me, Link, for playing the role of a confused caretaker back then. I had no idea what was going on, but it was like.." he frowned a little, humming contemplatively, "..someone was telling me I needed to go there, to meet you."

"Maz Koshia." Link said, looking to her Sheikah slate, "He's the Ancient Sheikah monk who brought me to the forest so I could get the Sheikah slate and the Master Sword."

"Koshia.." Rhoam frowned, "What, like Chi Koshia?"

Link startled, looking at him, "How do you..?!"

"It was a name I found once in some old history books back in the library." Rhoam looked at them all, "Although the name wasn't actually 'Koshia' in our books. It had been translated as Kohga."

Urbosa groaned, rubbing her hands over her face, "Of _course_ it had."

"So the name Koshia.. became Kohga?" Link pulled the Sheikah slate up to her face again, scrolling through the slates as she looked upon the four Divine Beasts now stored in the slate again, "Makes sense. Since Chi Koshia was the person who created the Yiga Clan."

The entire group groaned out and Revali slumped back against the grass, "This is _asinine_."

"For once I think I agree with you Revali." Urbosa looked into the fires under the cooking pot as Rhoam continued to prod it with his lantern.

"If these monks have been here all along, why didn't they _tell_ us all this back then?" Mipha was saying quietly, "We could have been more prepared, we could have.."

"How much more prepared could we have been Mipha?" Daruk spoke, almost a bit too quiet for him, "We had the Divine Beasts, we had the Hero and the Master Sword, none of us could have expected what happened back then that day when that damned monster came right out of the sanctum while we were all in the Castle."

Link's hands tightened around the slate, thinking about what Chi had said back on Eventide Island.. and that boy.

"What if.." she spoke quietly and they all looked at her as she glanced at them with tearful eyes, "..what if the Calamity _isn't_ the Calamity we all thought it was?"

The were all looking at her incredously, "..Link, what do you _mean_ by that?" Rhoam was saying, a blank sound in his voice.

"I've.." Link looked up at them, "I've been seeing your memories, back in the Divine Beasts, when I touched the furnace--"

"Our memories?!"

"Link, what are you _talking_ about--"

The Sheikah slate was beeping at her alarmed, but Link grabbed it from her belt, putting it in between the six of them right by the fire, ignoring it wholeheartedly. She needed to talk quickly.

"Urbosa, when I saw your memories, I heard you mention that the Calamity had been born a Gerudo."

Urbosa winced terribly, but she nodded, "Yes. That's the stories I've heard written in our history books."

"But the Calamity's name has been lost to time." Link looked at them, tears leaking from her eyes, "What if I told you I'm not sure if that's true. What if I told you I think the Calamity was born a _Sheikah_ instead?"

( _"LINK, PLEASE STOP! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE DOING!!"_ )

"A Sheikah?!" Rhoam put his hand to his chest, a stunned look in the man's eyes, "That's.. _impossible_."

"Wait.. wait wait _wait_." Revali was saying, looking at Link with wide eyes, "You said that the Yiga Clan now believed that _they_ are the Calamity's descendents?"

Link nodded. "I.. to be honest, I don't know _what_ that boy is."

"..Boy?" Mipha asked and Link nodded, "He keeps showing up when I connect to the furnaces. I can't tell exactly _what_ he is, whether he's Sheikah _or_ Gerudo, but I do know one thing.." she looked at them, "He _is_ the Calamity."

Urbosa was breathing raggedly and Daruk reached over gently patting her back even as he looked upon Link with wide eyes.

"He almost got me that last time." Link could feel her tears escaping her eyes as she looked at the Sheikah slate, placing one hand on the symbol of the Royal Family on her soldier's armour, "No.. he _did_ get me." she looked up at them, "While I was connected to Naboris' furnace, he corrupted me with malice, just like he did with all of you." Link laughed, a broken sound escaping from her, "I woke up in _your_ body Urbosa, unable to stop myself from attacking Riju and the others."

"Link.." Revali was staring at her, a devesated look on his face. Seems like he understood more then any of the others what she had felt back then.

Shaking, Link placed a hand over her mouth, "I was fighting back as hard I could and I managed to tell them to use the Bow of Light on us.. if it weren't for that then.." Link swallowed painfully as she looked at all the Champions, "I think you _all_ would have been completely taken over by the Calamity again, only now I would have been corrupted too."

"Why?!" Daruk yelled, "Why is that damned boar.. uh.." he scratched his head a little, "boy?? Trying to take us anyway?"

"It's not." Link heard the voice come from her own throat and shuddered as she was taken over by Maz Koshia, that ethereal feeling consuming her again as her eyes started to glow, "The Calamity wants the Divine Beasts and the spirits inside them. It always _has_. It took the four of you instead because something is blocking it from taking the Divine Beasts themselves."

The Champions and Rhoam were glaring at her now and Link shivered. "Hey Maz Koshia." Revali spoke out, "You think you've played with us enough as is? Can't you just explain to us what's going on?"

"No. Not to you. Not yet." Link heard her own voice speak out. "Once Link knows the truth she can tell all of you whatever she likes."

"..What would have happened to us?" Mipha spoke quietly, looking at Link's blue glowing eyes with her own gentle yellow ones. "If the Calamity had been successful, I mean?"

"..Hrmmm. Do you _really_ want to know that? Once you learn the truth, I cannot take it back."

"YES!" Urbosa snapped out, "Just tell us!"

"Very well then. The Calamity would have warped your Divine Beast's spirits into monsters.. I called them _blights_. They then would have killed the four of you Pilots, trapping your spirits inside your Divine Beasts, until your Hero, the boy with the Master Sword, came and freed the four of you."

Mipha started to cry, standing up and waking away a few steps, clasping onto her Lightscale Trident. "What do you _mean_ Link would have saved us?!" Revali snapped out, "In case you didn't realise, he died back there in the Castle too!"

"He wasn't supposed to." Link swallowed, fighting Maz Koshia a little as she reached up, grabbing her throat, "He was supposed to be gravely injured, but then brought to the Shrine of Resurrection, where he would have slept for one hundred years, before reawakening fully healed."

"Without his memories." Rhoam murmured quietly.

"Yes." Link gasped as her eyes turned flashed back to green, "I wasn't supposed to be born, was I Maz? My grandmother would have died in Castle Town."

The others stared at her, devestated looks on their faces, and Mipha rushed to Link's side, wrapping her arms around the girl's shoulders as she sobbed into her. Link just felt completely _numb_. How was she supposed to cry at learning that? She wished she hadn't learned it at all. ( _"Born on the blood moon."_ her father's words repeated over and over again in her mind.)

"Shut up!" Revali yelled, glaring at the Sheikah slate, "Who are you monks to tell us what our lives can and can't be?!" He stared around at the four of them, "Look at us! We're here, we're alive and we're going to stop the Calamity, all four of us and Link together!"

Link shuddered as Maz took over her again, "Yes, you will. Things may have gone much differently from our prophecy, but that part will still happen regardless. So stop thinking about the Calamity itself, and instead think about what it _took_ from all of you. And use those feelings to destroy it, once and for all."

\---

Link curled into the bed in the hut, somehow completely fast asleep with the Sheikah slate next to her, as the four Champions and Rhoam stood by the cooking pot again. They'd somehow managed to get the poor girl into bed, despite her insisting she wasn't tired and they'd stayed with her, telling her it was okay to get some sleep and that they'd watch over her. The poor thing hadn't even cried, but had somehow managed to fall asleep in the end.

"This is completely out of line. Had I known it would end up like this, I would have stopped her from ever going into that shrine in the first place." Rhoam was muttering, as he looked at the Champions in front of him, a distraught look on his face, "We have to _do_ something."

"What could we possibly do?" Urbosa was wrapping her arms around herself, "I hate it, I _hate_ this whole thing, but.. Koshia is right. We have to destroy the Calamity before it breaks free and destroys all of Hyrule."

"Urbosa, you _heard_ what he said." Mipha spoke out quietly, rubbing her raw eyes, "He has an ulterior motive in all of this. We have no idea what will happen tomorrow when Link goes alone."

"And his sister created the Yiga Clan as well.." Revali was muttering and Rhoam and Urbosa shuddered.

Daruk frowned, looking up into the crescent pale moon, "..Maybe this is some sort of plan to take out the Hero?"

Despite himself, Rhoam shook his head, "..No, I don't think that's possible. He was the one that _gave_ her the slate, and he has the ability to possess her. It would have been easy for him to take her out. And he wouldn't be telling us to take out the Calamity if that was the case."

"We were supposed to die.." Revali slumped down to the cooking pot which had gone out a while back, as he laughed almost nervously. Now that Maz Koshia's presence was gone, the weight of what he had told them was bearing down on the Rito, "Somehow.. I think I already _knew_."

"Don't think about it Revali." Daruk glanced at him, "Not even for a _moment_." and the Rito just looked up at him, a tired look in his eyes.

"So what.." Mipha looked at them, "We just.. let Link go alone? We don't even know where she's _going_." her hands tightened on the trident, "That monk wouldn't even tell us _that_ much."

"..Have any of you heard from your spirits?" Urbosa asked, glancing at them.

"Huh.. now that you mention it." Daruk glanced upwards a little, "Fire's been awful quiet for a while now, ever since Koshia mentioned they were supposed to be turned into monsters."

Urbosa sighed, shutting her eyes.

( _"Thunder are you there?"_ | _"Yes I'm here mistress."_ | the spirit was very quiet. | _"Don't you have anything to say about this?"_ | _"I.."_ | the spirit hesitated. | _"I'm not surprised honestly. Koshia has always been.. a reclusive man even back then."_ | _"Did you know what was going to happen to you?"_ | _"No.. I did not."_ | _"What do you think?"_ | _"Honestly? It kind of.. terrifies me. That I would have been turned into a monster and been forced to kill you mistress Urbosa."_ | the voice stopped for a moment as shock ran through it. | _"Oh no.. I shouldn't have called you by your name. It's not like Naboris would be able to remember it anyway. Once you pass on, a new Pilot will be chosen after all."_ | _"Do you want to call me by my name?"_ | _"..Yes. If you do not mind that is."_ | Urbosa chuckled internally. | _"What about you? Do you have an actual name outside of what Daruk called you?"_ | _"I don't remember Urbosa. None of us do. Outside of our relationship with the Koshia twins, it's been so long that our pasts and original names have been completely forgotten."_ | the spirit chuckled a little. | _"No space in Naboris' memory banks for complicated things like that you see? They could have stopped us from our purpose, to bond with new Pilots and stop the Calamity."_ | Urbosa felt completely revolted. | _"But you had lives. You were Sheikah, weren't you?"_ | _"Yes. But it's okay, we agreed to this."_ | _"Did you?! If you don't remember, then how are you absolutely sure you agreed to this! Having your entire lives wiped away, and even robbed of the chance of an afterlife in the Spirit Realm!"_ | _"Hmm. It's no different from the sword the Hero possesses."_ )

Urbosa froze as she reopened her eyes. "The Master Sword?! What do you mean by that Thunder?" She glanced to the other Champions who all had their eyes shut and were seemingly conversing with their own spirits. Rhoam was looking at all of them confused, sitting down by the cooking pot and waiting for them to finish.

( _"Hold hands with the other Pilots, mistress Urbosa."_ )

Urbosa reached out, taking one of Revali's wings, Revali in turn reached out taking one of Mipha's hands, who in turn reached for one of Daruk's, and finally Daruk and Urbosa then held hands, closing the circle between the four.

( _"Testing, testing, one two."_ | that was Wind, Revali's spirit speaking and Water, Mipha's spirit scoffed. | _"Come off it Wind, we're not children we're ancient spirits made for the purpose of bonding with a Pilot in order to combat the Calamity."_ | Fire, Daruk's spirit let out a large laugh. | _"You say that, but you're calling them the name my Pilot gave them, aren't you?"_ | Water sighed. | _"It's just.. easier if we use the codenames. At least for this moment. We were never supposed to come together like this after all."_ | _"Focus all of you."_ | that was Thunder. | _"We need to give our Pilots a little history lesson about the Master Sword, so they understand why we agreed to this."_ | All four spirits seemed to nod in agreement, before Water spoke up. | _"Let me. I've done the most research into this after all. Ahem.."_ | Water let out a little cough. | _"You see, in time immemorial, long before even the curse that now plagues Hyrule exists, the Great Goddess Hylia foretold a time when a Hero would be born, to destroy an ancient terrible evil that threatened the land of that time. To combat that evil, she created a sword that the Hero would weild, that would evantually forever be tied to the Spirit of the Hero."_ | _"We know this."_ | that was Revali that spoke up. | _"Well, some of it anyway."_ | Urbosa muttered as her fingers tightened on Revali's wing and the Rito yelped a little. | _"Please continue."_ | that was Mipha. | _"Ahem.. yes, well. Not many people know of this, but it turns out the Goddess also made a spirit that would enter the sword, a spirit that would bond with the Spirit of the Hero, much like how we bond with our Pilots."_ | _"That story is what inspired us!"_ | Thunder called out, a pleased tone in their voice. | _"Maz Koshia took that story and developed the Pilot-Spirit connection system, with us special powerful spirits that in turn would bond with a new Pilot, so that there would always a way to take out the Calamity, even if a Hero never showed up in that time!"_ | Wind coughed. | _"As Koshia's closest associates, we gladly sacrificed our lives to become part of something greater, a way to combat the evil that would constantly plague Hyrule."_ | _"That's right."_ | Fire said quietly. | _"So please, dear Pilots, do not mourn us. We happily gave our lives up to help you and Hyrule for all of eternity. You said you would have died to protect Hyrule, but we.. we gave up on even our own deaths to do that long before any of you were born. This is what we were all born to do."_ )

The four of them seperated and Mipha was trembling heavily as she pressed her face to the handle of her Lightscale Trident. "Goddess.." Daruk muttered, a stunned look on his face as he moved to sit down by Rhoam.

Urbosa swallowed painfully. The Gerudo had never worshipped the Goddess Hylia, instead they worshipped the Seven Heroines. Shutting her eyes, she thought of Queen Zelda's words then. ( _"I wondered why I was alone was given this power, when the entirety of Hyrule could benefit from it. Sometimes I would wonder if I was even human at all."_ ) The spirits in the Divine Beasts were ten thousand years old but.. the spirit in the Master Sword would be even older then that wouldn't it? A sword with a spirit in it destined to fight against the ancient evil time and time again, forever bound to the Spirit of the Hero who was also destined to be reborn time and time again. Urbosa looked into the hut where Link was sleeping.. and froze realising Link was gone from the bed.

"Hey.." she called out to the other Champions, "did.. any of you see Link wake up?" the others shot up, all rushing into the hut, Rhoam following them. As they did, the fog seemed to get thicker around them and Revali yelled out. "What's happening?!"

"Everyone, stick together, stay in the hut!" Urbosa called out to the group.

"But.. what about Link?" Mipha cried out. Urbosa grit her teeth. "We'll look for her when the fog gets a little less dense. We can't lose anyone else right now." for now, they had to hope Koshia was looking after her.

\---

Link was asleep.. and yet she was very aware of what was happening around her as she stepped out into the fog between the hut and the Temple of Time. Something.. _someone_ was calling out for her. And it wasn't Maz Koshia. But it felt.. familiar. Comforting. Link reopened her eyes, looking outwards into the fog that seemed even thicker then before. Her hands tightened on something and she looked down, realising the drawn Master Sword and Dragon's Shield were in her hands. The Master Sword.. she looked at it. Before, when she had first pulled out the sword at Korok Forest, it had been chipped and damaged. It would only regain its true splendor when against those possessed by the Calamity. Right now though, it seemed fine. Not damaged at all. Was that because she had freed all the Champions? It didn't glow blue in her hands, so she was safe. There were no guardians near her, nor anyone possessed by the Calamity, like the Champions.. and she had been.

Link swallowed as she stepped forwards into the fog which seemed to clear a little around her a bit. "Hello? Who's there?"

"Rrh." a voice called out, and Link turned, glancing over her shoulder. She didn't feel scared, and she had no idea why, because that was a _lynel_ right in front of her, staring her down.

Link turned to face it, cocking her head a little as her eyes flashed blue. And in front of her.. the lynel's green eyes also seemed to flash blue in recognition. But not the guardian like blue like the lynel at Coliseum Ruins had done so. It was the same Sheikah blue of her own eyes. How strange. Link looked down at the lynel's body. The lynel at Coliseum Ruins had had a red coat, but this one's shined bright golden. ( _Why? Why am I not scared?_ ) Link stepped forwards, raising the Master Sword to the lynel, who in turn raised a sword of it's own, pressing it's blade to her own.

"That's a Royal Guard's sword isn't it?" Link asked the lynel, noting the black blade that looked exactly like the Master Sword, recognising the blade from Urbosa's memory. She looked down. In the lynel's other hand was a similiar looking black shield.. a Royal Guard's shield.

"Do you.. want to fight me?" she asked the golden lynel.

"Rrh." the lynel seemed to nod at her.

"I'm pretty good, just so you know."

( _"So am I."_ ) the lynel seemed to be saying to her.

Link jumped backwards, as did the golden lynel and they started to pace around, watching each other, looking for an opening to attack.

"So, what's possessing you lynel?" Link asked. She felt.. strange. Ethereal, almost like when she was possessed by Maz Koshia, but not the same. She was here all by herself, and yet something had pulled her here. "I know it's not the Calamity."

( _"Let's see if you can figure it out, little one, by the time this fight is finished."_ )

Link grinned, despite herself, charging forwards and raising the Master Sword up high, and the lynel seemed to almost grin too, charging for her. Their blades clashed and sparked and Link backed away again as the lynel charged for her once more, now raising the Dragon's Shield instead, trying to parry.

( _There was a strange wolf in front of her, howling loudly as a large black boar monster with red hair charged for them. Sitting on the wolf's back was a strange imp like girl and Link watched as a red hand came out of the girl's head, grabbing onto the massive boar monster, stopping it in it's tracks, as a desperate struggle for dominance broke out between them. Finally, the wolf and imp seemed to win the struggle, throwing the boar monster to the side and on it's back, revealing a large gash in the monster's stomach, which the wolf leapt for immediately grabbing onto the gash with it's jaw, attacking the open wound constantly until the boar roared in agony, throwing them back before getting back up and running around the area they were in, destroying pillars before disappearing into strange black particles._

 _Link shuddered as she looked around, and the wolf and imp were looking around too, knowing it was going to attack them again. There were strange reddish patterns appearing them and the two were looking at them as the patterns seemed to move around, trying to disorient them.. before suddenly turning blue. The imp girl's red hand came out again immediately as the strange boar monster charged for them again out of the blue patterns and they were locked again in another struggle._ )

Link flurry rushed the golden lynel, slashing at it's side, staggering forwards in her soldier's greaves as the sweat poured down her forehead. She had thought the lynel from Coliseum Ruins to be good, but this lynel really was on another level. It didn't fight like a monster at all, instead it fought almost like.. well.. _her_. It could even parry and flurry rush. Panting heavily, she pulled the Master Sword to her, looking at the lynel's green eyes as it charged at her once more.

( _There was a boy and a girl running out of a collapsing tower. The boy wore a green hat, tunic, white tights and brown boots. The girl had long blonde hair and wore a long flowing pink dress. As the tower finally collapsed, the two looked back to the rubble and the girl sighed out, "It's over.. it's finally over.."_

_It wasn't over. Link could tell. The boy and girl looked at each other and a blue fairy was hovering over them, "I'm sorry I couldn't help you in the battle before!" the fairy called out to the boy._

_Then a loud thudding sound erupted in the area and the boy stepped forwards, placing his arm in front of the girl as they looked back to the rubble in shock, the girl gasping loudly. The boy started to run forwards, and as he did a wall of flame erupted between them seperating the boy from the girl._

_Erupting from the rubble suddenly.. there was a man. But it was so dark, Link could barely see. The man was panting heavily as the boy pulled out the sword.. the Master Sword towards him, and the man raised his arm as three golden triangles appeared, the top one of the three glowing brightly and the lower two dull, his red eyes glowing as he glared at the boy and girl. Then he let out a desperate hate filled scream as as he seemed to erupt into light.. and started to morph into some kinda of warped humanoid boar monster with two massive tusks coming out of his head and carrying two massive claymores. As the monster began slashing the claymores around wildly, the boy raised the sword to defend himself, and one of the claymores slashed into it, making the sword careen out of his hands, flying back behind the wall of fire and behind the girl who gasped, looking back at it._

_The boy turned back to the boar monster and the blue fairy charged forwards, "There's no way he's going to hold me back again! This time, we fight together!" It was a beyond desperate situation as the massive boar monster towered down on the boy, but watching it.. Link knew the boy would pull through._ )

Link grit her teeth as the lynel bore down on her, the Master Sword and Royal Guard's sword clashing and sparking together. The golden lynel was strong. Amazingly strong. Link could probably beat it in a more unconventional way, maybe if she used a bow, but found.. she didn't really _want_ too. Sword and shield, that just felt _right_ right now. If she couldn't beat it that way, then so be it, damn the consequences. Screaming out, Link pressed her feet down on the grass, slamming the Dragon's Shield into the lynel's chest as she tried to push its entire weight backwards. Her eyes flashed blue, and the lynel's eyes too flashed blue once more.

( _There was a strange purple portal in front of her and a blue girl with a blue gem on her chest was levitating in front of it.. Link swallowed. There was something eerily familiar about that girl she couldn't place. "Master.." the girl was speaking, a soft trilling escaping her, "good luck." the boy nodded as he jumped into the portal. The strange darkness around them seemed to evaporate as a new area appeared and.. Link gasped._

_She remembered this place. She had seen it once before. A strange place with the sky around them and water beneath their feet. The boy in the same green tunic, hat, brown boots but also brown leggings stepping forward in the water which gently splashed around his feet as he approached the figure. Link swallowed. The fear was back as she looked upon that figure she had seen once before. The other two hadn't scared her, but this one.. the humanoid figure covered in black scales with his hair on fire turned to face the Hero._

_"Ah, so you've decided to meet your end in battle after all. It pleases me greatly to see such misplaced valor, human." even his voice seemed to seethe with hatred, "Take a moment to appreciate your surroundings, for where we stand shall serve as your tomb for eternity." the boy was just glaring at him and Link wondered how he could be so brave in the face of.. that in front of him." the.. thing.. started to walk around in the water, and Link noticed the massive jagged black sword in his hand. "The hate for the gods that has boiled in my veins.. you will taste all of it in the bite of my blade."_

_The thing turned around to face the boy in front of him and Link shuddered. The hatred in his red glowing eyes.. it was overwhelming, overbearing, a curse of hatred that would exist for the rest of eternity. Unless it was stopped. But that seemed impossible.. at least right now at this moment in history. "The only question left is how long you will managed to remain standing before I take your life. Try to keep it interesting for me, would you?"_

_He raised his hand to the boy, "And when you do fall, know that your world and everything in it is mine to dominate.. mine to subjugate.. mine to rule!" he threw his hand out to the side, "When I finish with you, you can take solace in knowing your friends and kin will soon follow, as I wipe all who oppose me from the face of this world!"_

_The sky.. even the sky was changing to this thing's will, changing from blue and bright, to dark and terrifying. Link swallowed, looking at the boy in front of her. He didn't even flinch as he raised the Master Sword towards him. Link swallowed as her legs shook from terror. How was she supposed to compare to this? How was she supposed to compare to any of this? This was an actual nightmare._ )

Link screamed out. Somehow, she could feel their presences behind her.. the wolf, the child in an adult's body.. and the fearless Knight who was there at the beginning of all of this. Her eyes flashing brightly blue, Link pulled back, slashing the Master Sword constantly against the lynel's blade, forcing _him_ instead to react to her. Her slashes were wild and desperate, unlike how smart she usually was when she fought, but she was managing somehow. She had gotten the lynel on the ropes, and she could feel the spirits.. the previous Heroes pushing her forwards, willing her to fight back. And a fourth Hero too, burning hotly through her, pushing her forwards. Their wills were pushing back against her own will and magnifying her own. And Link wasn't even sure at this point if she even _wanted_ to be a Hero, but right now.. she was emboldened by them. The lynel staggered to one knee, and she knew it was over.

Link leapt at the lynel, and it seemed to fold to her, as the Master Sword was pierced into the lynel's forehead, right between the two tusks all the way to the hilt. The lynel let out a roar before it collapsed to it's side and Link panted as she staggered backwards, falling to her own knees in front of the lynel's body.

"LIIINK!!"

Gasping for breath, Link shuddered as she wrapped her arms around herself looking around, the strange fog seeming to disappear around them, and the call of her name seemed to force her out of the state of mind she had been in as she returned to her own self. What.. in all of Hyrule had that even _been_?!

She remembered the fight clearly, vividly, but whoever that person who fought was, that hadn't been _her_. The only part of it that had been her was that final memory, her own desperate terrifying fear in front of that unspeakable hatred.. Link swallowed painfully. But even now, those memories she had seen.. they seemed to be fading from her own thoughts. She couldn't remember them at all, the three presences.. or was it four?

Shivering, suddenly feeling colder then she could ever remember being in her life, Link looked to the gold lynel in front of her. It might have been a monster, but it hadn't been possessed by the Calamity. It seemed _sentinent_ somehow in a way the other lynel hadn't, not running on aggression. And she had killed it. ( _It's a monster._ her mind seemed to scream at her. _It's fine. It's not like you killed a person._ )

"LIIINK!!" Link turned sharply at the second call of her name, spotting the Champions and Rhoam who were running for the shivering child.

"Good Goddess, is that a lynel?!" Rhoam called out, horror running through him as he spotted the lynel's body with the Master Sword sticking out of it's head.

"Huh." Revali glanced at the shivering girl, impressed, but balked at the desperate look in her green eyes and how she was covering her own mouth.

"Why is it gold like that?" Daruk pondered, glancing down at it. "I've never seen any gold monsters before, let alone a golden lynel."

Mipha was studing it closely, a confused look on her face, "It's a different colour.. but.. I think I _know_ where this lynel is from." she glanced at the other Champions who were looking at her, "I'm pretty sure it's the lynel from Ploymus Mountain, the same one Link and I fought a century ago."

"Mipha.." Urbosa stared at her stunned, "How do you _know_ that?"

"I don't know.." Mipha admitted, looking back at it even as she held her hands around Link's shoulders, "It just.. seems familiar to me that's all. And that was the only lynel I've ever faced so.."

"RRGHH." the lynel growled out and the four Champions yelled out as they stepped backwards, pulling out their weapons, surrounding Link who was still shivering. Rhoam bent down to her, wrapping the arms of his old man form around the girl's shoulders as the lynel seemed to stagger, pushing itself up on to it's hooves, even with the Master Sword still stuck in it's head.

"Lynels are strong.." Link muttered, quietly, "That's what Maz told me when I fought my first one back at Coliseum Ruins."

"You fought one before this?!" Urbosa glanced back at the shivering girl. Why was she shaking like that? Why did Link look even more thoroughly _broken_ then before? What had _happened_ here?

The lynel got back to it's hooves, his green eyes locking with Link's eyes, and his eyes seemed to flash blue for a moment. Link swallowed painfully, as seemingly against her will, her own eyes seemed to flash blue in response. She shut her eyes, looking away from the lynel, but a gasp from the Champions and Rhoam made her reopen them and her eyes widened at what she saw.

The lynel had raised his hand up, grasping at the Master Sword's hilt, before pulling it out of it's own head.

"T-that's.. that's not possible." Rhoam was stammering. "A monster with the Calamity's malice should not be able to touch the Blade the Seals the Darkness."

Link swallowed, "That's because that lynel isn't possessed by the Calamity." she couldn't remember much of the fight now, the memories escaping her mind more and more, like a dream that was barely remembered in the first place, but she remembered _that_.

"W-what do you mean it's not possessed by the Calamity?" even Revali was stammering now, his Great Eagle Bow shaking slightly in his own outstretched wing.

True to her word, as the lynel pulled the sword out more, no malice seemed to be escaping the wound in it's head, just a gaping hole where the blade had pierced. With the entire blade now pulled out, the lynel looked down at the blade now tightly gripped in it's hand.. and it shone brightly blue. But only for a moment. The lynel shut its eyes and a strange sound seemed to fill the area, a soft trilling sound that seemingly only Link and the lynel could hear. It almost sounded like.. Link's eyes widened in recognition as she stood up.

"Oh.. I think know who you are now."

The lynel looked at her.. and then to the King behind her.. as he placed the blade down on his open palms before moving to bend down one knee in front of the Champions and the King. Link swallowed painfully. She had seen a scene like this before too.

Urbosa and Rhoam realised what it meant first, as they too had been there that day in the sanctum and Urbosa clasped her hands to her mouth, trembling heavily.

Daruk, Revali and Mipha were just looking at each other confused. But then.. the more Mipha looked at the lynel in front of her, the more she seemed to understand too. Her yellow eyes widened as she suddenly broke into a loud sob, turning away from him, leaving only Revali and Daruk confused. "Is anyone going to explain to the rest of us what's going on?" Revali called out, crossing his wings in annoyance while Daruk just scratched his head.

Urbosa looked at them, her whole body shaking her green eyes wide, "I-its.. it's.."

Behind them, Rhoam stepped forward, unable to believe his eyes as he looked at the golden lynel and the Master Sword in his hands in front of him. " _Link_. Is that really you boy?" Revali's head shot just around, staring at the lynel, his eyes widening as he spluttered loudly and the lynel looked up, locking eyes with the King as it seemed to nod in affirmation. " _Rrh_."

\---

The Zora Kapson headed up the stairs as Dorian followed him, "You're lucky. We're a pretty new settlement, so we don't get many visitors here in the inn, lots of empty beds, even for people coming in late like you. And you know Link! We're so grateful to her and Kass as well for corresponding between her and Hudson, she sent so many of our inhabitants here to the town, just from word of mouth alone."

"Mmph." Dorian just nodded, a sudden heavyness filling him. Had he succeeded in his goal to kidnap Link back then and send her back home, this entire town wouldn't exist would it?

"And you're not even the only Sheikah to enter our town today! We've actually got another Sheikah who just arrived today too. Granté! One of your bretheren is here."

The blonde haired boy looked up from his bed, where he was reading a book, waving to Dorian, "Hey! Nice to meet you, I'm Granté."

Dorian nodded at the boy. Clearly he was half Hylian, just from the hair alone. "Dorian."

Kapson nodded at the two Sheikah as Dorian chose one of the empty beds, shifting his pack to the floor beside it, taking off the eightfold blade he was using as a weapon for this disguise as he stored it in the pack.

Kapson gave a sharp nod, "Good good, I'll be back in the morning with a nice hearty meal for you two." he bowed to the two of them, clasping his hands together, "May the kindness of Goddess Hylia be ever with you."

Dorian tried not to wince as he pulled the duvet over himself, willing himself to fall asleep quickly. Oh, he was going to _hate_ it here, wasn't he?


	28. The Shrine of Resurrection

With the fog in the Great Plateau all but gone and as the sun was starting to rise in the distance, in front of them, the lynel.. or rather the Hylian Champion _Link_ in the lynel's body was standing back on on his hooves to his full height as he stepped forwards, trying to pass the blade back over to the Lurelin girl Link, who looked back up at him, unmoving.

"Rrh." the lynel out a little growl, and Link snapped back to reality, taking the Master Sword from him. And then it was like the spell had been broken, everyone talking at once. 

"Link, how are you inside a lynel?!" Rhoam was saying, still stunned.

Daruk let out an oddly nervous laugh, scratching the back of his head, "I guess I should be calling you _big_ guy now instead of little guy huh?" The lynel was even taller then _him_.

"Fight me." Revali was stepping forwards, his green eyes narrowed and yet frantic, "Fight me _right now_."

"Revali, knock it off, this isn't the time!" Urbosa scolded, glaring at the Rito.

"When is the time going to be then?! I'll never get a chance like this again, fighting both Link _and_ a lynel at the same time."

The lynel turned to Revali, and they weren't even sure if a monster could emote, but he almost certainly had a deadpan looking expression on his face as he looked at the Rito Champion. He was lifting something up and they noticed it, the lynel's blade, a Royal Guard's sword, snapped in half.

"You have other weapons!" the Rito turned to the girl, a wild look in his green eyes, "You can give him a weapon can't you, from your slate?!"

"REVALI!" Daruk rushed forwards, putting himself between the Rito Champion and the lynel.. Link. "Stop. _Now_." Daruk's voice was so serious and so unlike him that Revali was immediately quieted.

In back, Mipha was stepping forwards, having regained composure of herself and her yellow eyes locked with Link's.. the lynel's green eyes. The other Champions moved out of the way as she walked right up to the lynel.. who's green eyes were completely focused on her.

"Link.." Mipha spoke quietly, "where _are_ you?"

"Rrhhh.." the lynel let out a little almost pained growl, then turned on his hooves, pointing towards.. oh. Link swallowed painfully.

"The Castle.." Rhoam spoke, numbly. It was the only place he hadn't searched all the time he had been here. He hadn't wanted to go back there. He didn't want to see the bodies.. he didn't want to see his _daughter's_ body if she had somehow been unable to escape.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Link asked, stepping forwards, her arms gripped around the Master Sword. "I.. I could have come and helped you. If you're stuck in that lynel form somehow, maybe I could _save_ you like I did the other Champions."

The lynel shook his head, "Rrrh." he moved his pointing hand towards her, then up once more past the Temple of Time and towards a hill with a cliff in front of it. Link could just barely see the opening, a little cave, that almost loked like the shrines with moss coming off it.

"The Shrine of Resurrection." Rhoam spoke quietly. "That's where she needs to go is it? Have you been speaking with Maz Koshia too Link?"

"RRGGH." at the monk's name, the lynel's eyes seemed to narrow a bit as he stomped his hooves a little.

Despite herself, Urbosa chuckled, "I think you have the same opinion as we do about this monk, is that right Link?"

"Rrrhh.." the lynel rubbed the front of his mane as he seemed to look contemplative.

"Well, what are we all waiting for?" Revali looked up at the shrine in the distance, "Let's get in there and give this monk a rude awakening shall we?"

The lynel suddenly charged forwards, raising his arms up, seperating Link and the Champions as his eyes flashed blue, shaking his head wildly. "RRGGHH." he growled loudly and the Champions all looked at him.

"Link.." Mipha spoke out quietly.

"You can't be serious." Revali glared at him, "You _want_ her to go alone? How can you trust that monk?!"

"Rrrhhh.." the lynel reached out, placing one hand on Rhoam's back as he pushed him towards Link and Rhoam looked at him, stunned, "..Me? Link, I'm _dead_. There's nothing I would be able do if that monk tries something." The lynel just nodded at him.

"I can't _believe_ this." Revali was saying, "I think I actually understood you _better_ as a Hylian then as a lynel. And you never even _spoke_ as a Hylian!"

Link swallowed as she stepped forwards, looking at the Champions, "It's okay, thank you for staying last night with me. You didn't have to but.. it helped." she smiled, "So I didn't have to stay here all by myself. It was.. nice."

"Link.." Mipha stepped forwards, wrapping her arms around the girl's shoulders as the Zora Princess hugged her. Link swallowed and could feel the tears pricking in her eyes once more.. Link dropped the Master Sword to the grass as her arms wrapped around Mipha's back and it was like the well inside her started to break, just a little as she began to cry softly and tremble, everything seemingly hitting her all at once. Mipha could feel her own tears welling up in her as she hugged the girl tightly around her back. The other Champions were coming around her now, and Link could feel them now, Urbosa wrapping her arms around the two girls and Daruk's hand on one shoulder, Revali's wing on the other. A third hand touched her and Link looked up, seeing the lynel.. her _uncle_ who placed the lynel's hand on her hair.

"Rrhh." the lynel let out a soft, almost comforting growl and Link hiccuped as she tried to control her tears. "I'm.. okay." Link hiccuped, as she pulled back from them, wiping her eyes. ( _Come on now, Link._ she thought to herself, _There's more work to be done._ )

Link reached for the slate, first storing the Master Sword into it, before moving to where the Divine Beasts were stored as she pulled out the map, getting ready to drop the Divine Beasts back in their respective homes, but then Maz Koshia's voice took over her once more and she shivered as her eyes flashed blue. "I'm going to teleport you all to Kakariko and send your Divine Beasts there too. Then when Link returns you can be all ready and fully prepared to go to Central Hyrule, since that _was_ your original plan."

The lynel glared down at the 'monk' and the four Champions glanced at her too. "..Fine." Urbosa let out a very restrained reply as she crossed her arms.

"Good. Then we're in agreement. I'll send you all back now." Link's hands hovered on the Sheikah slate.

" _Wait_." Revali spoke out, glancing up the lynel before locking his eyes with Link's blue eyes once more, "Maz Koshia." he called out the monk's name, "You realise none of us trust you right? If _anything_ happens to Link because of you.."

Daruk cracked the knuckles of his hands together, and Mipha and Urbosa's hands also tightened around their weapons as they glared at the monk possessing her body. Link heard herself let out a laugh, "What a meaningless threat. But I assure you, Link will be fine. She is the Hero reborn after all."

"That's a lie and you know it Koshia." Link froze as the words escaped her own mouth in the Ancient Sheikah language, turning to the lynel behind her with wide eyes.

The Champions were staring at each other in confusion. None of them had been unable to understand the strange language, but Link could. And she had no idea what it meant. 'Koshia' tapped on the Shiekah slate, teleporting them away to Kakariko before the lynel could say any thing else, and tapping each Divine Beast, sending Ruta to Lake Siela, Rudania to Sahasra Slope, Medoh to the Pillars of Levia and Naboris to Bonooru's Stand.

"You." Link heard herself speak to the lynel in Ancient Sheikah, "You be _quiet_. It's bad enough with what you _did_ to the Divine Beasts furnaces."

The Divine Beasts furnaces?! Link looked up her ancestor.. the lynel which was now glaring down at her.

"Link.. _uncle_." Link heard herself speak out, hoarsely, "Were.. were you the one who altered the furnaces for the Champions, which kept them alive and protected in those corrupted forms?"

Rhoam staggered as he looked up the lynel with wide eyes under his hood, and the lynel just let out a little pained growl, before pointing up to the Shrine of Resurrection once more.

"Go." the lynel spoke through her own voice. "You need to hear this all from him. I.. can only tell you so much."

\---

Dorian and Granté were sitting on the balcony on the inn, looking out into the town as the inhabitants in the town wandered around. It was a bright sunny morning in Akkala and Dorian's eyes moved onto each and every one of the town's settlements as he lazily stirred his cream of mushroom soup with the spoon. A Hylian.. that had to be this Hudson that the Zora Kapson mentioned yesterday, next to him at the armour stall was a Gerudo. "That's Rhondson." Granté said as he ate at his own meal, an odd purple soup that seemed to bubble. Dorian just grimaced at he looked at the boy's meal, "What _is_ that anyway?"

The Zora had offered them a plethora of different soups for their meal this morning, sadly they hadn't any pumpkin though, so Dorian had chosen the mushroom soup instead. Granté had chosen the weird purple soup, but the way it bubbled had made Dorian feel queasy. "Oh this? It's monster soup." Granté grinned at him, "Gross huh?"

"Monster.. soup?" Dorian flinched, burying his own face into his bowl. The way it bubbled reminded him of the barrel of malice they had back in the hideout. This whole region was so _weird_.

"Yeah." Granté replied, nodding, "Fyson.. that's the Rito who works here, was telling me yesterday about a family who lives here, their daughter was sick. Apparantly the girl only likes cake, so Kass sent a letter to Link, ah.. you probably don't know her, but that's the girl who basically made this town from the ground up, and then Link sent back a vial of Monster Extract and a recipe to make something called Monster Cake." Dorian had a grossed out look on his face as Granté ate another spoonful of the bubbling soup. "Perked the girl right up and now she's right as day. There she is right now, Hunnie." Granté pointed his spoon to the girl now, who was running into the town center as she headed to her father who was looking at Akkala Citadel in the distance. "The inhabitants here, especially the girl's parents, were really interested in this Monster Extract, thought it might have some kind of healing properties, so they ordered a bunch of it from Kilton."

"I think I'd rather just stick with non monster food." Dorian grumbled as he finished his own soup.

Granté just smiled widely, "More for the rest of us then!" he took another spoonful of soup, "See, I'm somewhat of a researcher myself. I'm trying to learn everything I can, and not just about ancient civilizations, but all kinds of things. So trying new recipes like this helps expands my knowledge." he looked at Dorian excitedly, "What about you Dorian? What do you do?"

"..I used to be a guard for Kakariko." that was somewhat of a lie. He had never gotten that far in his training with Cado to be officially appointed as Impa's guard.

"Kakariko huh..?" Granté looked out at the rising sun in the distance, "My father was born there, but I've only been once when I was little you know." Granté sighed, "For my uncle's funeral a few years back."

Uncle?! Dorian's head whipped around. Then this kid had to be.. "You're Robbie's kid aren't you." He had left Kakariko not long before Sheik's passing, and he still remembered vividly seeing and hearing the elderly Sheikah playing his concertina on the hill just above the village.

Granté sighed, looking embarassed, "Yeah, but don't tell any of the town's inhabitants." Granté crossed his arms, "It's.. embarassing. My father is kind of a celebrity around Akkala because of the army and his Ancient weapons and I want to make it out here in Hyrule without him, you know?"

Dorian swallowed. No, not really. He didn't know what it was like to have parents. It was something he hadn't thought about for years, not since Koko's birth. By the time he had returned to the Yiga Clan it was honestly the farthest thing from his mind. All he cared about at that point was destroying the entire Clan.. to protect his real family, to protect his home Kakariko.. to protect _Hyrule_. Dorian looked down at the empty bowl and felt empty himself. His parents.. what were they like? He knew it was a pointless question at this point. Blademasters never lived that long anyway, they would likely be long gone at this point, but.. now, with nothing else left in his life, apart from the very minute possibility that maybe he would be one day be accepted by Kakariko again, he found his thoughts turning to them again. If they were somehow were still alive, back in the Clan.. what would they think of him now? Would they even _care_? He was officially a traitor now after all.

"Hey.. you alright?" Granté was speaking to him, and Dorian looked up. He must have had an absolutely _broken_ look on his face because Granté was stammering, "H-hey, sorry, here I am blathering on about my life, when I should be introducing you to everyone!"

"What." Dorian spoke out, deadpan.

"Yeah! Everyone here is so friendly, even if the -son name thing is kinda weird."

"..Son?" Hudson, Rhondson, Fyson, Kapson.. Dorian frowned. He hadn't even realised.

"Yeah.. apparantly it's a tradition that if you work for the town you gotta have a name ending in -son." he pointed out the two Gorons as well who were at the back house. "That's Greyson and his brother Pelison." Granté looked contemplative as he crossed his arms, "Or his child? You can't really tell when it comes to Gorons." he grabbed Dorian's hand and the ex Yiga's grey eyes widened as he was pulled back into the inn and downstairs, "Anyway, come on Dorian! I'll formally introduce to you to them all!"

It was a good thing the mass displacement spell affected his weight as well, or Granté would be wondering right now why he was struggling to pull the middle aged man down the stairs.. Dorian just sighed internally as he allowed Granté to take him outside to the main hub of the town.

\---

Link steeled herself as she stood in front of the Shrine of Resurrection, with her soldier's helm back on again. She had no idea if it was neccessary to wear it, but she just felt safe in it. At least with the Divine Beasts, except for Ruta who had been the first one, she more or less knew what she was getting into.. even if it had all seemingly never gone to their plans in the end. Now here in front of this shrine, she had no idea what was going on. What was going to be in here waiting for her? Maz obviously but.. Link looked to Rhoam who was eyeing the entrance warily. "Do we just.. go in?"

"Rrrh." the lynel muttered near them and Link looked up at him, "Are you coming in with us?"

"Rrrrhhh." the lynel pressed the flat palm of his hand to the top of the shrine and then further up to his own head.

"Right.." Link muttered quietly, "Your lynel body wouldn't fit." and the lynel nodded. "Will you wait for us out here?"

"If I can." her own voice spoke out to her and Link nodded, turning to the King, "..Are you ready your majesty?"

Rhoam sighed, "..Link I'm not your King, you don't have to call me that." but the King nodded, "We might as well get this over with, right Link?"

Somehow.. Link felt this was _right_. The King had been the first person she had met on her journey, back in Korok Forest, even before she had gotten the Sheikah slate, when she was still mute (even if she hadn't known it had been the King back then) and he was here now again, at the end of her journey (if this was indeed the end, she still had the Castle to go of course).

Taking a deep breath, Link stepped into the Shrine of Resurrection and Rhoam followed her. Strange, it was almost kind of.. foggy in here despite the light of the outside still reaching the little cave. The blue star patterns on the wall glowed as Link walked down the stairs which lead up to a closed door. Link swallowed, taking the Sheikah slate from her belt, tapping it to activate the screen before holding it up to the deactivated Sheikah eye symbol on the door.

' **AUTHENTICATING.. IDENTITY CONFIRMED: MAZ KOSHIA.** '

The Ancient Sheikah text didn't appear on the screen, but right in front of her own glowing blue eyes, and the Sheikah eye symbol started to glow blue as the circular part moved inwards before the door started to open up from the bottom. When the door finally completely opened, Link took another deep breath before heading inside, Rhoam following her. To the left was a pedestal, not unlike the ones in the Divine Beasts and in front of them was another door and..

Link swallowed nervously, finally spotting the Sheikah monk. He looked exactly like the other monks before him. A ragged corpse of a Sheikah.. a ReDead as he had explained before, with long flowing white hair, a hat similiar to Impa's, a Sheikah eye covering over his face and he was wearing golden bangles and a necklace.

Maz Koshia turned to the two as the door snapped shut behind them and the fog and blue lights in the chamber seemed to get more intense, "Hnn. You were supposed to come alone."

"Link.. my uncle wanted King Rhoam to come."

Koshia sighed, "Of course he would." he turned around, "Hurry up then, we need to move quickly. We only have a day left now before the one hundred year anniversary of the attack on the Castle. If she is to awaken at all, it has to then."

Rhoam froze, "..She?"

Maz Koshia turned to face him, an impassive look on the covering on his face, "The Goddess Reborn, of course."

He reached out to touch the door in front of him and it opened immediately, revealing a second smaller chamber with a bed in the middle of it.

Link completely froze, her eyes wide, and Rhoam let out a desperate sob when they realised who was laying inside the bed.

"Zelda!" Rhoam was rushing forwards into the room, as he collapsed onto his knees right in front of the bed. The Princess didn't awaken. She was still in deep sleep, and she looked exactly how Link remembered her in that first memory she saw of Mipha's back in Ruta. She was still wearing the same white and golden dress too, although her brown strap shoes were removed.

"I can't believe.." Rhoam was whispering hoarsely as he reached out with trembling fingers, stroking through his daughter's long blonde hair, "that you've been here all this time, and I had no idea.."

"Maz." Link whispered quietly, numbly, "How did this happen?" Koshia let out a non chalant shrug and Link glared back at him, her green eyes fierce. " _Koshia_."

"What do you want me to say Hero?"

"Did my uncle put her here, like he did with the Champions?"

Koshia sighed out, "No. I was the one who put her here."

"You?!" Rhoam turned to Maz, an angry look in his eyes, "Why would you do that?! You _know_ the side effects of what this chamber does, you made it after all!!"

"Had I not, your daughter would have died." Maz spoke out blankly. "I found her, gravely injured, as well as the Master Sword back at Korok Forest at the pedestal, exactly where I sent _you_ five months ago." Maz sighed as he crossed his arms, "I refused to allow the last blood of the Goddess to die out, and so I brought her here to the Shrine of Resurrection, even though I knew by doing so would wipe her memories."

"Injured.." Rhoam slumped down, his back to the bed, as he looked back at the sleeping girl. "How? She should have escaped in the docks.."

"Let me continue." Link spoke out as her eyes flashed blue and she gasped, reaching for her throat. That was Ancient Sheikah.. from her uncle Link, and Rhoam looked at her a look of confusion on his face.

"Hold on." Maz spoke and he raised his hand as it glowed blue for a moment, a ring of blue light circling around Link's throat. Link looked up to Maz, "Your ancestor is stuck right now speaking our Ancient language, so I just used a simple translation spell so that the King can understand."

Link frowned and it was her uncle speaking through her once more, "You should have done that before now Koshia."

"What and have you blabbering all these important secrets before your descendent is ready to hear them? I don't think so _Hero_." he spat the term and Link shivered despite herself. "I had to protect the Goddess. Her importance outranks even yours, _both_ of yours. There will always be another Hero after all, even if the Hero's bloodline dies out, but the Goddess is tied to her blood."

"Stop it!" Rhoam yelled at Maz, and the monk froze as his hand moved up to his own throat.. Link swallowed, reminded of that spell on Chi stopping her from speaking about ten thousand years ago.

"I.." the monk sighed, bowing to the King, "Yes.. sorry, my apologies, my liege. You might not be the King I served ten thousand years ago, but even now, I am still loyal to your family."

"Don't.." Rhoam sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Just _don't_. We're both dead Koshia. And your King is long gone. Just.." he turned to Link, "Please, Link.. explain what happened to my daughter."

Link felt herself bowing to the King too as her ancestor spoke through her again. "To be honest I'm not exactly sure, sire. I can only tell you of when she first appeared in the sanctum.." Link sighed, "..carrying the Master Sword."

"The Master Sword?!" Rhoam stared at Link, awestruck, "My Zelda, carrying the Legendary Blade?!"

Link felt herself nod, "I had.." Link felt herself hesitate a little, "..lost it previously, due to everything happening in the castle. To be completely honest, I had no idea where it was. I was still struggling with the corrupted Champions back then. I was trying to figure out how to alter their furnaces in their Divine Beasts into makeshift Shrines of Resurrection, healing chambers, like this one, hoping that it would heal the malice they had been corrupted with." Maz Koshia just gave an annoyed sigh at that. "But the next thing I knew, she was there, climbing down the sanctum into the laboratory below, trying to fight the Calamity.." Link hesitated once more, "..and _me_. All by herself. It took all my power to stop her and get her out of the Castle. I teleported her and the Master Sword to the only place I could think of that would be safe, Korok Forest."

Link shuddered as her eyes turned back to green, "You..? What do you mean _you_?" Rhoam was staring at Link, horror in his own eyes.

"..You were corrupted, weren't you?" Link said, her eyes filling with tears, "Just like the other Champions."

Link heard herself laugh, "Corrupted? Oh how I wish it was that simple little niece."

"The idiot sacrificed himself completely." Maz Koshia was speaking, and they could see how angry he was. "He is supposed to the Goddess' Hero first and foremost. But the Calamity was trying to raise the Giant Columns stored under Hyrule Castle, and if it had done so, the battle would have been over before anyone in the Town were evacuated. So to save the people of Hyrule Castle Town as well as as many soldiers as he could as well as the Champions and the Royal Family who were all still in the Castle, the Hero forcibly bonded with the Sheikah slate that was supposed to have a safety precaution against that sort of thing as well as the Calamity itself permanently, using his new found powers, much like yours, and then was locked in a struggle that has lasted one hundred years and would have have lasted even longer, if I had not found you, little Hero."

Link collapsed to her knees. No. No no _nononono_. "..Permanently?" She looked at Maz, a pure broken look in her green eyes. "But I can fix that, right.. w-with my Sheikah slate.. it's powerful.. I.. I can.."

"Link." her own voice spoke out and Link could feel the tears leaking from her blue glowing eyes. Near them, Rhoam was trembling and openly weeping, his hands buried in his face. "It's _okay_." Her ancestor was speaking through her. "I knew what this was going to do me, and I did it anyway."

"NO!!" Link screamed out, clutching her chest, "This can't be happening..! You can't tell me that I was able to save everyone, the Champions, even the Princess, but I can't save you!!"

"Link." Maz spoke out to her and Link looked up at the monk desperately as tears fell from her eyes. Numb. She felt absolutely _numb_ that she couldn't handle it. And tired. _Exhausted_ even. This was too much, too much.. she really was just a little kid after all.. Maz Koshia bent down to his knees right in front of her, bringing their faces closer together, and his voice was.. surprisingly gentle, considering how he usually was. "I need you to listen very carefully. As long as your ancestor and the Calamity are bonded together, Hyrule will _never_ be safe. There could always be a chance that the Calamity will overpower even your uncle's seemingly unbreakable will, and if it does.." Maz Koshia shuddered, "Hyrule and all it's people _will_ be destroyed. The only way to end all of this, is to _permanently_ sever the connection between them, and then use the Divine Beasts and the Master Sword to destroy the Calamity."

"But severing the connection will kill him."

"Yes."

"My uncle's still alive.." Link croaked out, "..but I have to _kill_ him to save Hyrule." Maz Koshia took in a deep breath, then Link tensed up a little as his arms wrapped around her shoulders. It was.. uncomfortable. Like he barely even knew how to initate a hug, but.. Goddess help him, he was trying.

"Link, you absolute fool." Rhoam choked out, "You damned brave _idiot_."

"How.. how did he even _do_ this..? Y-you said his Sheikah slate had safety precautions.." Link croaked out and Maz Koshia chuckled wearily, "The Spirit of the Hero.. even _we_ were never able to figure out how exactly it worked. It really is an amazingly powerful spirit, passed down from Hero to Hero." Maz Koshia stood up as he reached his hands outs, "The Hero of the Sky, the Hero of Time and the Hero of Twilight. All three of them were amazing Heroes in their own right who saved their own worlds from that ancient evil. And although they passed on from this world in time immemorial and moved onto the Spirit Realm, the spirit that left them is an eternal immortal being, that exists seperate from their own spirits, and yet joined with them." Maz looked at her, "The Hero of the Wilds.. would have been an amazing Hero of his own right too. I think you will understand when the Spirit of the Hero enters your own body, little Hero."

( _"Link will be fine. She is the Hero reborn after all."_

 _"That's a lie and you know it Koshia."_ )

Link clutched her chest. "My uncle is still alive.. which means I'm not the Legendary Hero? I really _am_ just a kid called Link, who just so happens to be the descendant of the Hero."

Why.. why did that make her so _happy_?

"Not for much longer." Koshia spoke out and Rhoam rushed over to her, putting himself in between them.

" _Enough_ Koshia." the King spat, even though tears were still falling down his face. "Don't you think you've put this girl through enough pain as it is?"

"It doesn't matter what I do or say. Link is the Hero. She _will_ be the Hero, whether she likes it or not. Speaking of which.." Maz Koshia looked at Zelda, still in the bed. "We need to move quickly. Some of the Calamity's malice penetrated a deeper level under the Shrine of Resurrection. While it's there, the Princess will never awaken. That is why I called you here Hero. You need to purify the malice so the Princess will finally awaken, or.. she never will."

Link moved to stand, "I understand."

"Link _NO_!" Rhoam turned to her desperately, his eyes wild under his hood, "I will not have you sacrifice yourself for this deranged monk's vision!"

"So what, you would rather let your daughter die?" Maz spoke out coldly. He came up behind Link, placing his hands on her shoulders, and Rhoam stared at the girl's green eyes. They were completely dull, like her ancestor's had once been, focused only on the mission and nothing else. Maz Koshia had completely broken this thirteen year old girl into the perfect Hero he had wanted. "I find it rather ironic that _you_ , of all people, King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule, would have an objection now? After what you put your daughter through for ten years."

Rhoam swallowed painfully, "It's.. because I did that, that I finally understand." Rhoam clutched his hand around his chest, "For so long I accused my beloved daughter of evading her duty as the Royal Princess.. but it was _me_ all along who was evading my own duty, as her father. Even though I told her all this, back then a century ago too.. I've still been living with the guilt of it all this time." the King spread out his arms, "Please, Maz Koshia, just _listen_ to me! There must be another way to destroy the Calamity, _without_ the Hero! We have a whole _army_ in Akkala after all! She's just a _child_!"

"I am sorry my liege." Maz Koshia spoke softly, "My loyalty is to the Goddess first and foremost. And this is her will."

"It's _okay_." Link spoke out, a smile on her face as she looked at him and Rhoam staggered back. This was too much. He couldn't take this. "It's fine, sire. I'm the Hero, _this is what I was born to do_." Maz Koshia turned around, opening the door to the second area of the Shrine of Resurrection.

"Maz Koshia!!" Rhoam screamed out, "Please! _Link_!!" he called out to the Hylian Champion, "You.. you can't allow him to do this! That's your great niece there, your little sister's granddaughter! Doesn't that mean _anything_ to you?!"

The voice of the Champion didn't respond and Maz and Link stepped through to the second chamber. Before the door shut, Koshia turned to face him once more, the impassive Sheikah symbol on his face unchanged, "My liege, you can stay with your daughter until she awakens. But I must insist you leave when she does. She will be very confused after all, and she does not need your ranting."

" _KOSHIA_!!"

Maz raised one hand, slamming the door shut between them, cutting himself and Link off from Zelda and Rhoam. The King grit his teeth as he raised his hands, trying to shift to his spirit form so he could follow through the door back to them.. but then stood back in shock, looking down at his own hands. Something was preventing him from switching to his spirit form. Was it the Sheikah magic here in the Shrine of Resurrection? He looked back at Zelda, who was still in deep sleep in the bed, and a defeated feeling entered his entire body as he moved to sit by the bed, watching her chest rise and fall as she slept in the bed.

"Zelda.. I'm so sorry." Rhoam muttered, shutting his eyes and reaching out for her hand, clasping it in his much larger one. "What am I supposed to do..? I really am powerless here.."

\---

Back in Tarrey Town, Dorian nursed a mug of warm milk in his hands as he sat in the inn's lounge area. It was only around noonish and he had barely done anything, but he was already tired. What a fall from grace for the once future leader of the Yiga Clan, he chuckled bitterly to himself. Out of the corner of his eye he watched as Kapson did his receptionist duties in the inn. Granté was still outside. Apparantly he had set up some sort of makeshift unofficial store in the town, selling weapons and armour to travelers. Dorian stifled a yawn as he drank some more of his milk. Maybe he really _should_ take a nap, even though it would destroy the rigorous sleep schedule he had mantained for years.. but it wasn't like he really _needed_ it anymore anyway.

Swallowing the last dregs of his milk, Dorian moved to stand.. and then the door to the inn opened. Kapson turned to the door and his eyes lit up, "Oh, Kass welcome back!"

Calamity _no_! Not him! Dorian swallowed nervously as he tried to carefully move to the stairs without a sound, but Kapson easily spotted him, "Oh Dorian, let me introduce you! But a traveler like you probably doesn't need much introduction to Kass, he's well known all across Hyrule after all."

Dorian must have looked pathetic at that moment, his back pressed to the wall as he tried to escape the inn's lounge, and Kass moved into the inn, glancing at Dorian as the Rito smiled and raised his wing at the Sheikah, "Hello Dorian, it's always nice to see new inhabitants of this little town, it's a pleasure to meet you!" And.. Dorian just forced a smile on his face as he raised his own hand to the Rito bard. "H-hello.. nice to meet you too Kass."


	29. The Final Trial

[Minus ten hours.]

The elevator was heading down to an underground area, deep under the Great Plateau. In front of Link, Maz Koshia had his arms crossed as they traveled further underground, "Hnn. We should really come up with a Hero name for you too Link. How does 'Hero of the Dragons' sound to you?"

"Mmph." Link just muttered numbly, her eyes dull and unfocused. (In the back of her mind though, she was thinking of a memory.. _"But you said that if we were to have a daughter you would want to name her Pan didn't you? Link for a boy, Pan for a girl, that's what you said."_ her father's words to her mother. Pan.. for a fleeting moment, she genuinely wished she had been called that instead.)

As the elevator finally stopped, Koshia uncrossed his arms. "We're here." Link looked forward as the little door opened, revealing a large center room with four rooms off to the side. There were a bunch of deactivated guardians in the center room, and a lot of puzzle elements. She looked at the nearest room on her right, which also seemed to be some sort of puzzle room, one based around the element of Fire. Then the other three would have been Water, Wind and Thunder..

Link looked up at the monk, "..Was this a trial meant for my uncle?"

Koshia nodded at her words. "This underground area was where myself, my sister and the four Sheikah who evantually became those four spirits, worked on the Divine Beast project. These upper chambers were their original rooms here, but over time I had hollowed them out and put many puzzles here for the Hero of the Wilds."

Link nodded, numbly. All these trials the monks made for the Hero, and she had only done two of them..

"There were.. other chambers too. Further down. But I blocked them off a long time ago. They were unncecessary for the Hero."

Link touched her chest. "Chi.." she frowned, despite how numb she felt, "..I haven't felt her presence in me since I first reached the Plateau.."

Koshia sighed, a somewhat annoyed sound, "Chi is not the only one who can block off magic. She granted you the ability so I was unable to read your thoughts back there on Eventide. But the moment you stepped onto the Great Plateau, I've blocked off her completely."

Link swallowed, "..Does that mean I can't use the Yiga magic anymore?"

"You can still use Yiga magic. I am just blocking _her_ from being able to see what you're doing. I will not deny that her special brand of magic has been very helpful for your journey. Especially the ability to see through Yiga disguise magic and use Yiga magic yourself.. hn." Koshia pondered as he stepped further into the large room and Link followed from behind, "..Even if the Thunder Helm ended up being useless for Naboris. But neither her nor I could have foreseen that."

Koshia continued to walk forwards, "And I could have never foreseen just how useful that Yiga descendent ended up being as well." Link froze at the mention of Dorian as her hands balled into fists, stopping in her tracks. "I suppose it was a good thing in the end that you fought against me in the end there, to save his life, even if _did_ almost kill you. And that he had such a bleeding heart that he saved _you_ too."

Link swallowed, raising her eyes to Maz Koshia's back. That's right.. Chi had told her.. "..You told him he could be a Hero." she croaked out, despite how numb she felt.

Koshia turned to face her, and she could feel just how impassive he was, even though his face covering didn't change. "I told him what he needed to hear at that moment in time, so he would join you in the battle and get you inside Naboris. We've been over this Link. Only _you_ can be the Hero."

( _No.._ )

"You used him."

"I did what I had to do, as the conduit of the will of the Goddess."

( _"He's still fully dediated to the Goddess and the Royal Family that banished us. He wants more then anything for you to purify the Divine Beasts and save their Champions, and to destroy the Great Calamity once and for all."_ )

Chi's words from Eventide were blazing through Link right then as she looked up at him. "T-the Sheikah boy.."

" _NO_." Koshia snapped angrily and Link jolted up, tears filling her eyes as he walked briskly towards her, placing his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look at him, "Hero, listen to me, I need you to forget about that now. It's unimportant for your task ahead."

Link swallowed, "B-but.. he possessed me.. back at Naboris.. what if he tries again.."

"He.." Koshia's hands tightened on her shoulders a little, as he seemed to scold himself internally, " _It_ failed. Your spirit is too strong Hero."

"But I don't have the Spirit of the Hero.." That's right. Her uncle was fighting there in the castle against the Calamity even now. Despite what had happened, the Calamity was unable to possess _him_ for a hundred years, all because of the strength of the Spirit of the Hero. But she didn't have anything like that.

Koshia let out a tsk of frustration. "I'm not talking about the Spirit of the Hero. I'm talking about _your_ spirit, as the last descendent of the Zonai people."

Link shut her eyes for a moment, then roughly pulled herself away from Maz Koshia's grip, "He _did_ possess me though! If it weren't for the Bow of Light--!"

"Did you forget that it's because of _me_ that you ended up with that Bow in the first place?!" Koshia yelled out, "That's right! As the conduit of the will of the Goddess, I had to give you whatevever I could for the battles ahead with this ancient evil, whether that be a damaged barely functional Master Sword still reeling from the shock of being rejected from it's former master, the Bow of Light or that shield formed from the gifts you were given to boost your morale in your most desperate hour!"

Link swallowed.. the Dragon's Shield too.. wait.. she looked up, her eyes wide, "..What was that about the Master Sword?"

Koshia crossed his arms, "He never mentioned it up there, did he? I suppose he was too ashamed too. When the Calamity broke free, before the sanctum floor completely broke, your ancestor only had a few moments to come up with a plan. Thanks to the Sheikah slate, and the Princess' research, he already knew the Calamity was trying to pull up the Columns. And so, instead of using the Master Sword, he used the Sheikah slate instead. He rejected the Master Sword, hurling it out of the sanctum to protect it." Koshia let out a frustrated sigh, "He probably could have defeated the Calamity right there and then, even if meant the guardians would have killed everyone in the town. He chose the safety of Hyrule's people over his duty to the Goddess."

"..That's how I'm able to use the Master Sword."

"The Master Sword has no official master right now, that's true." Koshia scoffed, "Even the Zora Princess and that Yiga descendent were able to touch the blade without it hurting them."

Link shut her eyes, her own hand tightening over the Sheikah slate on her belt.

"T-the Bow of Light.." she tried to move the conversation back to it.

"What about it?"

"You pulled it out of Princess Zelda's body."

"..What's your point?"

"She never awoke her sealing powers."

Koshia growled, " _Link_."

"W-what if you _hurt_ her doing that?"

"I didn't."

"How do you know?!" Link eyes were wide and Koshia's fingers tightened. The way she looked right now.. reminded him of..

"I would have never harmed the Goddess Reborn."

"Her name is Zelda!" Link cried out, " _Not_ Hylia!" her hand moved up, clutching around her soldier's armour, the symbol of the Royal Family. "And my name is Link.. but I was almost called something else you know! My parents wanted to name me _Pan_!"

"STOP IT!" Koshia bellowed. "Stop.. acting like a _child_!"

"I-I _am_ a child.."

"You will be the Spirit of the Hero! The Princess will regain her powers, the Blood of the Goddess, and the Calamity contains the Reincarnation of Hatred! You cannot stop this! I cannot stop this! NO-ONE CAN STOP THIS CURSE!"

"You tried though, didn't you..?" Link said quietly, her green eyes sympathetic towards him now as she stepped towards him.. and Maz Koshia stepped back, despite himself. "You didn't want him to become the Calamity did you.."

"Link.. _stop_.." an almost pleading sound came out of the Sheikah monk, the ReDead.

"Of _course_ you didn't." Link said quietly, "He was your _son_."

Maz Koshia collapsed to his knees as he raised his trembling hands to the Sheikah eye covering. "Stop. _Please_."

Link moved to sit down, crossing her legs as she looked upon the trembling monk, "Can you tell me about him?"

"What.." Koshia croaked out, a terrible broken sound, "what good would that do now? There's nothing left of him, only the curse, the Reincarnation of Hatred, the _Calamity_ exists now."

"That's not true and you know it." Link muttered sadly. "That's why he tries to cling to this Sheikah tech.. the Divine Beasts, the guardians.. because _you_ made them. Because they were a part of _him_ too." Link looked up to the trial chamber she was in, her eyes flashing blue for a moment, "There's a fifth one here, isn't there? I can _feel_ it. You actually made the horse Divine Beast he asked from you."

"I didn't make it for _him_." Koshia snapped, looking up, "I made it for the Hero. It was to be the Hero of the Wild's own personal Divine Beast."

"Then why base it on the horse?" Link looked at him and her eyes were firm. Koshia's hands tightened. She was completely back now, that deeply empathetic girl.. who would never let a person suffer in front of her, and not the Hero he needed. _Damn_ her. "Did he like horses?"

Koshia scoffed, "Of _course_ he liked horses. What child in Hyrule doesn't?"

"..What was his name?"

"No. You don't get his name. That name died with me and Chi a long _long_ time ago." Koshia sighed as he crossed his legs, "I can only give you name he gave himself when he became an adult." Link swallowed. "..Ganon." Koshia sighed. "That was what he renamed himself, when he learned the truth, the truth I was never able to remove from his mind, no matter how much I tried to make him forget."

Link eyes widened and she looked behind her shoulder at the elevator which led back to the Shrine of Resurrection. "..You put him in that bed?"

Koshia laughed bitterly, "Countless times." he stood up as he walked away from Link, wrapping his arms around his own shoulders, "This place.. it didn't start out as the Shrine of Resurrection. It was just an elevator to take us to this lower area. The energy under the Great Plateau is the most potent, the most powerful in all of Hyrule. We knew we could make the Divine Beasts here."

Koshia let out a desperate laugh, "But then I went to Kurasa Valley as part of my job to reunite the races of Hyrule under the Royal Family and learn from them, develop the Divine Beasts into creatures that would represent and protect each race, even if a Pilot would ultimately be chosen from us Sheikah. And then I met _her_."

Link swallowed painfully.

"The Gerudo, they let me into Kurasa Valley, as they were desperate to build relations with the Royal Family. And so I met the boy's mother.. she was also a Gerudo, a vai. The more I learned about the Gerudo, their culture, their history, the closer we got.. and then.."

"You were gifted a child."

Koshia let out a desperate bitter laugh, "The Gerudo tribe.. there's something _special_ about them. When a Hylian and a Sheikah have a child, the child will be mostly Sheikah with maybe a few Hylian traits. If that half Hylian half Sheikah then has a child with another Hylian, there'll be less and less Sheikah magic with each passing generation, until the child is more or less Hylian again." Koshia glanced back over his shoulder at Link, "I'm pretty sure that's what happened with your mother's side of your family." Link touched her chest. That felt right. She was Zonai and Hylian.. but there was also something connecting her to the Sheikah too. She had only been in Kakariko for two days, but that place felt like a second home to her.. the Yiga Clan hideout actually too, now that she really thought about it as terrifying as that place had been..

Koshia was continuing to speak, "But Gerudo.. when they have a child with a Hylian, the child will always be born as a Gerudo. There are little things that's changed over ten thousand years and even further beyond, the Gerudo have developed the Hylian style of pointed ears after all, but for the most part that rule with the Gerudo remains the same. Always a Gerudo, no matter what. Maybe.. that just shows how _strong_ their bonds of blood and their culture, their history is. Maybe the Goddess made them that way. Or.. maybe the Goddess never made them at all. Maybe they came into existence by their own willpower alone."

Koshia sighed, "So, a Gerudo and a Hylian will produce a Gerudo vai. But a Gerudo and a Sheikah.. all that powerful magic from both tribes combined into one lifeform.."

Link shut her eyes, "A Gerudo _voe_."

"Suddenly I was stuck with a Gerudo voe baby. His mother had died in childbirth, and the midwife who helped us deliver him took her own life shortly after. I couldn't take my child back to the castle. The superstitions surrounding Gerudo voe.. he would have been ripped from me and executed immediately." Koshia placed his hands on the Sheikah eye covering, "To protect him, I did something desperate.. something absolutely terrible."

"You used your Sheikah disguise magic to make him appear as a Sheikah. Then you raised him as a Sheikah, and not the Gerudo he was born as."

"How awful.." Koshia laughed brokenly, "the way I treated him. I completely seperated him even from his own supposed people the Sheikah and kept him down here with me and Chi. He was so _lonely_. And I kept telling him that if he worked hard enough he could master Sheikah magic.. but he was never able too. He was _Gerudo_ after all. And the anger and bitterness would continue to burn inside him, so I created this chamber, to make him _forget_. Later I would turn it into a healing chamber.. but taking away memories. I was never able to remove it's original purpose from it."

Koshia let out a desperate sigh. "Of _course_ the boy completely rejected me once he grew up and realised the truth. He threw off that Sheikah magic and completely embraced the role of the previous Reincarnations of Hatred. No-one ever figured out the truth, except for me, Chi and those four.. and the Royal Family evantually. But for now, they believed that the King of Evil had returned out of nowhere, which completely wrecked the relations between the Gerudo people and the Royal Family, even though the Gerudo rejected him too.."

Koshia looked up into the ceiling of the Final Trial. "And then finally.. came that fateful day.. ten thousand years ago."

( _Link gasped as she opened her eyes. She was in the middle of Hyrule Field, the castle not too far behind her, and despite it being a memory she could feel how absolutely frantic the wind was around her. And the sun.. it was daytime, but it shone red. Almost like the blood moon.. Link looked around, spotting the blue towers in the distance and turning around more.. her heart fell._

_There he was, the ragged thin looking Gerudo voe as he had appeared to her in Naboris. He couldn't be much older then eighteen or ninteen years old. He didn't look like the overwhelmingly powerful Gerudo voes of the past in the memories she could now vividly remember in this memory. He was completely **wrecked** , severly injured and dirt all over him, trembling heavily, with pure hatred in his yellow eyes. His left arm appeared to be broken. It must have been an intense battle here. _

_There were four Sheikah around him and Link swallowed painfully. They looked just like they did in that tapestry, Water, Fire, Wind and Thunder. They were wearing strange Sheikah/Guardian like armour, but helmets that looked like each four Divine Beast._

_"GANON!" a voice called out and the young man's head shot around. That had to be the ancient King behind him, standing on the Sacred Grounds right in front of the Castle . And beside him.. there were two people, a young Princess who looked to be the same age as the Gerudo who had an absolutely pained look in her blue eyes, her hands over her mouth as she trembled, and a much younger boy, younger then even her, carrying the Master Sword and wearing armour she didn't recognise.. and yet somehow **did**. Traditional Zonai clothing. Barbarian armour. That must have been the Hero of their time. Link swallowed. He must have been around seven to eight years old. The blade was even bigger then his entire small body._

_"It's over!" the King called out, "You've lost. Give up now and allow yourself to be captured!"_

_The Gerudo laughed loudly, a deeply desperate laugh full of anger, "And allow you to execute me, like you did the previous Gerudo voes?! I don't think so!"_

_"You will never win!" the King called out. "We have the Spirit of the Hero and Princess with the Blood of the Goddess."_

_The Gerudo's eyes moved to the Hero, ignoring the Princess entirely.. as he eyed the Master Sword in the boy's hands. And there was something akin to envy in his yellow eyes. Then he turned to the Princess and his eyes narrowed especially at her, even as she trembled and watched him with pained eyes. The Gerudo pushed his unbroken arm out, screaming wildly at all of them, "TO DEMISE WITH YOUR GODDESS!!"_

_The memory shifted and Chi and Maz were in the Shrine of Resurrection, fighting over the Sheikah slate they had created, their bodies thrashing together as Maz tried to kick his twin away from him, boxes being thrown everywhere as they struggled. Chi was desperately screaming out, "Maz, you have to DO something! That's your son! My nephew!"_

_"I can't!" Maz yelled out, "Don't you see Chi, there's nothing more I can do! He's completely rejected me.. both of us! And the Sheikah!"_

_"OF COURSE HE REJECTED THE SHEIKAH!" Chi screamed out hoarsely as she continued to fight with her twin, "He was never a Sheikah in the first place!!"_

_Chi pulled away, ripping the Sheikah slate from her twin's hand trying to get it on the pedestal to open the door back to the Great Plateau._

_"Chi, what are you doing?!" Maz reached out, trying to rip the slate from her hand once more._

_"If you're not going to save him, then I will!"_

_"CHI NO!" Maz rushed for her again, "You'll be seen as a traitor.. you'll be executed!"_

_"SO BE IT THEN!!" Chi roared at Maz, glaring at him. "He may not be Sheikah, but he's my family!" she was glaring at him, hot angry tears running down her face, "I've already found a group of our bretheren who agree with me. We're going to move into Kurasa Valley, now that the Gerudo have abandoned it. I'll save him, take him there with me, I can help him, and then teach him all about his own culture his own history, even if I have to reject my own!"_

_Maz was staring at her. "..I'm sorry Chi, I truly am but I cannot allow you do that."_

_The memory shifted a little further and Chi was screaming out as she rolled around on the floor in pain and agony, holding her throat which crackled with lightning. Above her, Maz was staring down at his sister, his hands glowing blue._

_"What did you do.. MAZ WHAT DID YOU DO?!"_

_The memory shifted back to Hyrule Field and Link started to scream out. The Gerudo.. his whole body was starting to shift, twist, and warp, his head twitching as his yellow eyes bugged out, unable to pull them away from the Princess and the Hero. That hatred.. was completely consuming him. He was changing.. into the same boar monster that the other Gerudo in those memories had become._

_The Princess, Zelda, was sobbing. "It's happening.." Behind them, the tiny child Hero's hands trembled on the hilt of the Master Sword which glowed a deep blue. That child was so small.. and he looked so scared.._

_"NOW!" the King yelled out, "Seal him away!"_

_"Sorry kid." one of the four spoke out, Link wasn't sure which one, "But it's time for you to go."_

_All four Sheikah made the same symbol with their hands.. the three triangles and then there was a bright blue and golden light that completely consumed the memory.. but all Link could hear was the Gerudo's screaming. A scream of hatred.. but also a deeper agonising scream of pain._ )

Link gasped as she awoke again in the Final Trial, turning and vomiting on the floor. Koshia had moved from his spot and was now standing by the at the end of the chamber, by blue box that had once contained his corpse. Link wiped the vomit from her mouth as she shakily moved to stand, following him to the end of the chamber.

"So now you know." Koshia spoke out bitterly. "But it still doesn't change anything."

"This all started back then. At the beginning." Link croaked out, "The _thing_ the Hero of the Sky fought."

"Link, you don't understand."

"No.. I'm going to fix this."

Koshia chuckled weakly, his hand gently pressing down the Sheikah symbol on his own box. "Link you _can't_. This curse, its gone on so long, you couldn't even possibly imagine. There were other Heroes too you know, other Heroes, other timelines." Koshia looked up, "Our ancestors had visions of those timelines, tried to write them down in our history books, and those legends ended up getting mangled with our own legends. I have no idea what happened in those timelines.." Koshia chuckled weakly, "I wonder if they were able to end the curse. Or maybe it got _worse_ somehow."

Link swallowed as looked down at her own dark hands, trembling. Her ancestor's symbol, the Zonai spiral. A spiral throughout history.. Link shut her eyes, remembering that terrifying humanoid figure in front of her, covered in black scales, his entire hair on fire.. and there was another figure too. A being made of pure golden light, shaped like the Goddess statues that existed all over Hyrule.

Link reopened her eyes. "I am not the Hero. Zelda is not Hylia. And your son.." she took a deep breath, "Was not Demise."

Koshia turned to her, "You still don't _get_ it." he raised one hand to her, "But don't worry. I will make you understand." She yelled out as she suddenly disappeared into blue light. "In the name of the Goddess Hylia.." Koshia called out after her light as it disappeared upwards into the sky, "I offer this final trial."

\---

[Minus nine hours.]

Back in Tarrey Town, Dorian was standing by the rails of the inn's balcony, his arms crossed over his chest, looking down at the town below as Kass sat next to him on the little table, his concertina on the table, his eyes closed as he hummed softly.

"Are you just gonna sit there?" Dorian spoke to him as quietly as possible, "Or are you going to say anything?" his fingers tightened on his arm. "I'm surprised you haven't told any of them there's a _Yiga_ with them."

"But you're not Yiga anymore are you Dorian?"

"Don't give me that nonsense again. You have no idea what has happened. You were already here in Akkala." Even Kass wasn't fast enough to get from Rito Village to Akkala. Dorian glanced up at Akkala Citadel. It had only been just over half a day since he first teleported here himself from Lake Hylia. If the soliders had left first thing in the morning, they'd be about.. maybe somewhere between Hylia River and Nabi Lake right about now, and that was only if they had really fast horses. Even if one of Traysi's reporters had been there in the desert, they wouldn't have got a report out that fast. It had taken a whole week for the last one to get out. And the Yiga Clan certainly wouldn't have gone around telling anyone. He couldn't possibly know about what had happened in the desert.

Kass reopened his eyes, glancing at the Sheikah. "I don't need to know exactly what happened to know you've changed. It's all over your face Dorian." The Sheikah glanced away from him, narrowing his eyes. "Back then at Rito Stables.." Kass was continuing, "you had a desperate, almost _wild_ look on you. Now you just seem lost and confused. So tell me Dorian.." there was a sound of shuffling letters and Dorian winced, not moving to look at the Rito, still looking at the Goddess Statue down in the center of the square, "Will you take Kiyah's letter now?"

"HIII~!" a voice cried out and Dorian's head turned around. Coming into the town now were two Hylians, a middle aged bald man wearing pink trousers and a blue jacket with a yellow collar, and another younger man wearing the same kind of blue jacket and Hateno style clothing. "Hudson, baby! We finally made it~"

"Boss! Karson!" the other Hylian waved to them from Rhondson's armour store, and the two wandered over to them.

Kass let out a little hum, "Well, I better get down there too. They will be wondering where I am." he placed the letter on the table, leaving it for Dorian and the Sheikah tilted his head towards the group down there were starting to talk excitedly, "What's going on down there?"

"Oh didn't you know?" Kass smiled widely, "Hudson and Rhondson are getting _married_ tomorrow." Dorian completely froze, remembering Link's small smile as she had suggested this town to him. Had.. had she invited him here on purpose so he would be here for the wedding? Dorian glanced back at Kass who was continuing to speak, "That's why I'm here, since Link couldn't be here herself. Since I was Link's father's friend after all, and he was also Bolson's childhood friend, it was the next best thing." Kass moved to enter the inn, "I know they would be happy if you came too, if you would like Dorian, since you're a friend of Link's too."

Dorian just watched the Rito leave.. before moving his eyes to the letter on the table.

\---

[Minus eight hours.]

Link gasped as she reappeared on a strange stone like platform. And it was _cold_. Not too cold, but cold enough that she could feel it. She looked around as she shivered a little. It was a strange circular platform. Link rushed over to the side.. and gasped. They appeared to be high above the Great Plateau. She swallowed nervously as she backed away. One wrong move, and she would fall off this platform.

Realising there was something.. off about her (she hadn't heard her soldier's armour clanking when she had moved to the side of the platform), Link looked down at herself and balked. Her soldier's armour was gone. Instead she appeared to be wearing..

( _No. No no nononono.._ )

Link grabbed the Sheikah slate off her belt, looking at her apperance in the screen's reflection. A green tunic, brown shorts, brown boots and a green cap. Link looked over to the clothing/storage state in her slate. There were her snowquill, stealth and soldier's clothing and next to them.. Link swallowed. Hero's Set. She tapped onto the soldier's set, but it wouldn't change back. Then she realised the Master Sword, Dragon's Shield and Bow of Light were equipped to her back as well.

"MAZ!!" she screamed out desperately, "Get me out of this clothing!"

He appeared in front of her, in a stream of blue light, standing up tall, his arms outstretched.

"Maz, please, what is this?" Link looked at him desperately, "I thought I was here to save Zelda!"

Koshia laughed and suddenly.. Link realised, she had been _had_. "The Goddess Reborn will wake up fine tomorrow. Do you really believe the malice could penetrate her like that?" then he raised his hand and Link shuddered as she stepped back, her eyes wide. Levitating in his hand.. there was a small sphere of malice. Even disconnected from the Calamity, it still bubbled, as Link's green eyes looked up at him desperately. "But do not worry though Hero. I have some malice right here for you to purify."

And then.. he started to bring the malice to his own chest.

"NO NO!! WHAT ARE YOU _DOING_?!"

"Testing your resolve Hero." Koshia looked up at her as the red symbol on his face covering started to glow orange.. and then guardian like blue as the malice started to move around his body, consuming him. "May the Goddess smile upon you Hero.. _for I shall not_."

\---

[Minus seven hours.]

In Kakariko, the four Champions were sitting at the table at the inn.. and trying to ignore the stares from the inn keeper and other travelers who were in the building. A little twitch was appearing on Revali's head, but Mipha reached out, taking the Rito's wing. "Revali, please.. just be patient."

Revali shuddered a little, then.. surprisingly gentle, his feathers squeezed a little back around Mipha's hand. "I'm.. trying Mipha. Patience has never been my strong suit, at least.. not this kind of patience. Feels like we're doing nothing out here when we could be.. I don't know.. training? Protecting our homes?"

"And you're worried about Link." Urbosa spoke out quietly, crossing her arms.

Revali frowned, "Of _course_ I'm worried about Link."

"No, not her." Daruk chuckled a little, "Well.. _yes_ her. But also _him_ right?"

"Tsk.." Revali turned away from them, "We really shouldn't be talking about this here, you know?" he tilted his head. It felt like more and more people were looking into the inn now. There were two Sheikah children too who had their head poking through the door, the elder of which was trying to stop the younger from coming to their table.

Daruk scratched his head, "Hmm.. maybe we should have taken Impa's offer to stay in her home tonight?"

Urbosa sighed, "It would be too crowded with all four of us, plus Impa and her granddaughter."

"Cottla! Cottla _stop_! They're very busy people you can't disturb them!" The elder Sheikah child was trying to pull her younger sister back and the younger girl's grey eyes were alight, "Did I hear you say Link?" The girl was saying excitedly, "I know her! She's my friend! Is she your friend too?"

Mipha smiled at the Sheikah child, "Yes, Link is a friend to all four of us."

The Sheikah child smiled widely, "I hope she comes back soon. She said we were going to play again, but she hasn't been back in _months_."

Urbosa smiled at the girl, "She should be back tomorrow hopefully."

"Tomorrow!" Cottla looked to her elder sister, "Isn't that great Koko?"

" _Koko. Cottla._ " a voice whispered from outside the inn, and the two girls looked out the door as a woman rushed in grabbing the two girls gently by the shoulders. "I'm so sorry Champions! I hope my girls weren't disturbing you." the middle aged Sheikah woman looked up and they noted her red Sheikah eyes.

Revali sighed. He had always had a soft spot for children. "Not at all."

The woman sighed out, "Come on you two, let's go home now."

The inn keeper looked up, "Oh Kiyah, while you're here, can you send these parchments over to Claree in Enchanted for me?"

Urbosa who had been taking a drink of her mug of warm milk, suddenly choked, coughing willdly on her drink.

The red eyed woman moved to the desk, "Of course Ollie." she took the parchments, glancing back at the four Champions who were all staring at her. "I..is something wrong Champions?"

"N-no! Everything's fine!" Mipha stammered, waving her hand at the Sheikah and the red eyed woman just nodded at them, taking the two girls and the stack of parchments as they left the inn.

Urbosa was still coughing on her drink. "I changed my mind. Let's get to Impa's." The others just nodded as they hurriedly got up from the table.

\---

[Minus six hours.]

In the Shrine of Resurrection, Rhoam was still sitting by his sleeping daughter, his hand still on her own hand. He wasn't sure how long he had been here now. Time had been irrelevant to him for so long, the only time he seemed to notice it was when the weather changed when he had been out searching Hyrule. The weather never seemed to change out here on the Plateau for some reason. But it had been like that even _before_ the Calamity attacked. The Great Plateau seemed to be like it's own little world seperate from the rest of Hyrule.

Sighing he reopened his eyes, looking at his sleeping daughter's visage once more. "Zelda.." he murmured to her, "I know you're not going to remember me when you do wake up, or our last conversation, you won't remember any of us will you, not even your own dear mother.." he sighed, "I was so angry before, but now I wonder.. if that would be _better_ for you. You have a brand new start now. No expectations, no weight of the world on your shoulders.." he leaned his bearded chin on the side of the bed, watching her chest rise and fall, "You loved him, didn't you? Your Knight.." Rhoam looked miserable as he looked up into the glowing blue lights above the bed. "Goddess.. how is that _child_ supposed to tell them what happened to him?"

Suddenly.. her fingers seemed to stir a little and Rhoam staggered back, looking at her with wide eyes behind his hood. She was waking up. Slowly. But she _was_ waking up. Rhoam stood up as he looked around the room, "Hey Koshia? I think you need to let me out now." There was no response and Rhoam's arms wrapped around himself as he grimaced. He couldn't be here when she woke up. Maz Koshia was right about that, if nothing else.

Rhoam looked back to the door seperating him from the rest of the Plateau and his eyes widened even further. There seemed to be Ancient Sheikah text glowing in front of the door.. and he could _read_ it thanks to Maz Koshia's previous translation spell, the magic still in the room.

' **AUTHENTICATING.. IDENTITY CONFIRMED: CHI KOSHIA. NOT RECOGNISED.** '

"Come on you stupid..! I helped _MAKE_ you, let me in!" there was a voice just outside the door and Rhoam rushed over to it.

"Hello?" he called out to the door.

"Oh.." he heard the voice sigh out, "Calamity.. of _course_ it's you."

Rhoam reached out to the door. "..Chi Koshia?"

"King of Hyrule." the tone was biting.

"Ahh.. actually you can call me Rhoam, if you would like."

"I would rather not."

"Are you trying to get in?"

"I'm stuck behind the first door leading into the Shrine of Resurrection."

"I see. I'm stuck in the second chamber." he looked at Zelda, "..With my daughter in the bed."

The voice spluttered, "Your _daughter_?! Oh, suddenly _everything_ makes sense. Damn you Maz. Just when I thought you were being honest and truthful with me for a change..!"

" _Rrh_."

"By the way Kingy, this your pet lynel out here? Seems kind of friendly, you know, for a _lynel_."

" _LINK_!!" Rhoam called out, desperately.

"Oh no." Chi said, sounding deadpan, "Did my twin turn you into a lynel?"

"No no, not _her_ , the previous Hero, the Hylian Champion Link!"

"Oh. _Oh_! Well that makes more sense.. I guess?" she spoke that last part quietly. "Anyway Kingy, how are you stuck in there anyway? Are you not.. well.. dead? You're not a ReDead, ah, sorry, a living corpse like we are, you should be able to move to your spirit form to get through the door."

"I tried! Something's blocking me from changing to my spirit form."

"That all? Hold on, let me try something on my end. Stay still and focus your energy out towards me. But you've got to do something for me too. Once you get into the first chamber, tap your hand on the pedestal out there. Then the system should be confused enough for me to hijack into it and get my door open."

Rhoam turned to look at Zelda. This.. would probably be the last time he got to saw her. He moved back over to the bed, looking down at her.

"Kingy?"

"Hold on, I want to say goodbye to my daughter first."

"URRGGGHH _FINE_ but hurry it up! I'm worried about Link, I haven't been able to contact her for _hours_ now! Do you know how long it took me to get here from Eventide? I can't just _teleport_ to the Great Plateau thanks to the damn spell he put on me."

Rhoam leaned over to Zelda. "Goodbye my beloved daughter." he gently kissed her forehead, "Be good, and kind, but most of all.. be _happy_."

\---

[Minus five hours.]

Link screamed out as she ran as fast as she could, dodging multiple metal balls from the massive mass displaced form of the corrupted monk levitating above the platform. It was raining heavily on the platform, but it didn't appear to be raining down on the Great Plateau itself under them? She was covered in sweat and rain, and this fight had lasted for _hours_ , but she had to keep moving. She was surprised she wasn't completely exhausted to be honest, considering the fight with Dorian in the Yiga Clan hideout, Vah Naboris and the fight with the lynel.. _Link_ on the Great Plateau had all happened in just under an entire day. But she felt more awake and her senses more alive then ever before.

As the last metal ball was thrown, Link just barely missed it before slamming her brown boot down on the platform, the rain splashing under her foot as she pulled on the drawstring of the Bow of Light, aiming an arrow of light right for the the monk's glowing blue covering. The monk turned to face her, and Link grimaced as she released the arrow, hitting the monk right in the middle of the eye. Usually that head of a monsters was it's weakness that would have staggered it.. but for Koshia, it didn't even _flinch_ him. Link placed the bow back on her back as she continued to run, grabbing the Sheikah slate from her belt and using magnesis on one of the metal balls near her. It was starting to spark with lightning and she grit her teeth as she lifted the slate up, moving the sparking metal ball right to Koshia.

"Sorry Maz."

The malice infused monk let out a groan of pain as the metal ball exploded in his face, and he collapsed back down to the platform, the entire platform seemingly shuddering as his weight hit it and Link staggered backwards, gritting her teeth as she pulled the Bow of Light from her back again, firing arrows of light into the malice that was over his body. She had no idea if it was working or not, it seemed to be firing right through the malice.

Link had briefly wondered why she wasn't actually attacking him. It's not like he was alive after all. When she had fought Tutsuwa Nima at the Spring of Power, she had had no qualms about actually using the weapons on him. He was a corpse. It's not like she could kill him after all. But looking at Maz Koshia.. after learning all about him.. how much he had suffered.. she just couldn't _do_ it. Even though he had corrupted himself, Link would still save him. She may not be able to save her own uncle, but she could still save Maz Koshia.

The corrupted monk let out another groan as he moved to stand, looking down at her tiny form and Link's eyes widened. He was slamming his massive feet down on the platform, the weight making the platform shift as Link staggered backwards, trying to regain her footing. Link shuddered and staggered as he came closer. He was trying to stomp her completely under his foot.

Link put the Sheikah slate back on her belt, pressing her hands together as she signaled, talismans appearing around her as she teleported behind him. The monk turned around slowly before spotting her again, trying to slam down on her once more. Link pressed her hands together, teleporting over and over again on the platform as he constantly tried to stomp her. He was seemingly getting very frustrated, but Link wasn't going to budge.

"LINK!!"

Her eyes widened and there was another flood of talismans, but they weren't from _her_. The corrupted monk turned to face the voice, spotting another monk.. Link jolted, recognising the inverted eye covering.

"Chi?!" and next to her. Oh. That was Rhoam.. but he wasn't in his old man form. He looked exactly like he had in that last memory in the library, but with little flickering flames around his body, much like how Jaq had appeared to her.

Chi looked up.. "Oh Maz.." the Yiga monk spoke quietly, looking at the corrupted form of her twin. The large monk let out a loud desperate groan, looking back to Link once more as he raised his hands up to his face and.. Link gasped as her eyes widened. Whirring. Loud whirring. Red light. Aimed right for her.

 _A guardian laser_.

She grabbed the Dragon's Shield.

( _Her mother's voice calling out to her as she was in the boat, smiling, despite her tears. "We love you so much Link, don't ever forget that."_ )

Link was running forwards, lifting the shield up right towards Maz Koshia and the laser. She couldn't think, she could only act. Right _now_.

The red laser beam turned to blue, firing right for her.

"LIIINK!!" that was Rhoam screaming her name, and Chi was trying to teleport to her..

Time had almost completely slowed down. Link could feel the entire weight of the beam aiming for her tiny shield, and it was _staggering_. Beams like this had killed so many people over the years.. but still, Link thrust the shield forwards, right at the last possible moment, parrying the beam right back towards Maz Koshia, and the beam exploded in fire, right back in the monk's own face.

It was over.

The rain around the platform was disappearing, and Maz Koshia was collapsing backwards as blue light surrounded his body, the mass displacement spell disappearing as he returned to his normal size, laying on his back on the platform.. but still with the malice on his form. Link grabbed the Sheikah slate, tears filling her eyes, as she rushed forwards, reaching out to the screen to write the purify spell, but then suddenly Chi was in front of her, stopping her.

"Chi, let me go, I-I have to purify--!"

"Link." Chi spoke gently, "He's not corrupted."

"B-but I saw the malice..! I saw..!"

Chi raised her hand, which started to glow blue, and the malice disappeared from Maz's form. "Disguise magic." she glanced back to her, seeing the stunned look on the girl's face. Chi sighed, "I guess you were so panicked by seeing it that you didn't think to check your _own_ magic. Or the Master Sword."

Link's eyes widened. _The Master Sword_. She had been so focused on trying not to hurt Maz Koshia, that she hadn't even brought it out once, using the Bow of Light instead to try and free him like she had been freed back at Naboris.

Link felt herself slump down to the platform, her green clothing still soaking wet, looking down at the Sheikah slate's screen. She tried tapping the soldier's set again, but it wouldn't shift. She sighed out, passing the slate up to Chi.

"Chi.. _help_. Can you get this weird Hero's clothing off me? I don't feel _right_ in it."

"I'm glad you said that." Chi chuckled softly, taking it from her, tapping her finger down on it. "Honestly? I don't think it suits you, green isn't your colour at all."

Link just laughed softly as the Hero's Set was replaced with the Sheikah stealth gear. She sighed. That was better. The Sheikah clothing really was the most comfortable clothing she had. "Thanks Chi."

She looked up. Chi was still looking at the Sheikah slate as she scrolled through the states. Then she paused for a moment, before bending down to the girl.

"..Link. Is it okay if I show you something? It's about _you know who_."

Link swallowed, but nodded. "I already know about all about him, but sure."

She glanced at the Sheikah slate with all the runes activated. Stasis, magnesis, cryonis.. and the camera.

Link glanced at Chi, "Hey, I was wondering, how come I don't have that bomb rune magic on here? Dorian could use it, but I can't."

Chi laughed, "Oh, we just never had it installed on the slate. I kept reminding Maz, but with the whole Divine Beast project we just.. ahaha.. _forgot_ I guess."

Link blinked a little, "Really? I thought there was going to be some tragic backstory behind why that particular rune was never put on the slate.."

"Link, not everything in life is connected. Sometimes things just _happen_ and that's life."

Chi tapped on the green rune, the camera, bringing up.. oh. Link swallowed painfully. There it was. A picture of seven people, the four Sheikah who would evantually become the spirits in the Divine Beasts, twins Maz and Chi Koshia, and the boy.. who evantually became _Ganon_. Maz was holding the boy in his arms. And they all looked so.. happy. Maz clearly loved that boy so much. So did Chi.

"I never thought I would get to see this picture again.." Chi sighed and there was such a longing sound in her voice it was _painful_.

"I think I understand.." Link said quietly, as she looked at the photo, then back to Maz who was still lying unconscious on the platform. "Why he wanted me to kill the Calamity so bad." Link looked at Chi, tears filling her eyes, "He's been suffering for ten thousand years hasn't he?" Link rubbed her eyes, "All three of you have. He just wants his _son_ to stop suffering."

Chi looked at her, reaching out for her own throat.. and nodded.

"Chi Koshia." Chi and Link turned around and Rhoam was standing back there in his spirit form. The King moved to his knees in front of them.

"H-hey, what are you..?"

"I know this is meaningless coming from me. It's not like the ancient King was _my_ ancestor, I just married into this family.. a-and.." he stammered a little, "It's not like the Royal Family even exists anymore, nor the Kingdom of Hyrule.. but.. still, as their representive.. and on my behalf of my Queen.. I want to apologise for how much our ancestors hurt your people. And not just yours either. The Sheikah, the Gerudo, the Zonai.."

Chi rubbed the back of her head, running her fingers through the long white hair as she sighed deeply. "Kingy.. you don't have to.. we're both _dead_ for Calamity's sake.."

But the King was continuing, "And.. I know this isn't saying much, since we're only talking about hypothetical situations.. but my Queen and I talked about this before and I believe you should know." Rhoam sighed, "We decided.. that if a Gerudo voe were to be born in our time.. we would have _never_ done what our ancestors did."

Chi's hands were shaking terribly and she placed them to her inverted eye covering. "Y-you.."

"My Queen.. and her dear friend Urbosa.. they even agreed to change the rules back in Gerudo Town, they would have made an exception, so a Gerudo voe could have lived in _peace_ with his own people."

Chi sobbed out, a desperate ragged sound. "You can stop now." she was turning away from them, "..But. Thank you. For telling me that." she was silent for a few moments before speaking one once more, "..King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule. Now get up off your knees Kingy, you're supposed to be a _King_ for Calamity's sake and here you are bending down to the person who created the Yiga Clan."

The King just let out a quiet chuckle as he moved to stand and Link was looking in between the two, swallowing a little as she pressed her hand to the Sheikah symbol on her chest.

Behind them, Maz let out a little groan as he started to awaken and Link looked up at him, "You alright there Maz?"

Chi was walking over to him, standing over his collapsed body as she placed her hands on her sides, "You absolute tremendous _idiot_."

"Chi."

The Yiga monk reached out one of her hands.. and Maz let out a sigh, taking it as he was pulled up.

Chi let out a huff, "Don't know what I was thinking. Clearly I can't leave you alone with this, I'm your elder sister after all."

Maz turned to her and there was a deadpan feeling radiating from him, "Chi, we're _twins_."

"Actually, I'm older then you by almost twenty minutes."

Maz turned to Link, and then he was walking briskly forwards towards her, "Why aren't you wearing your Hero outfit?! I thought I locked the slate--"

Chi slammed her arm in front of him, preventing him from moving forwards, " _Enough_ Maz."

" _Chi--_!"

"It's okay Maz." Link was speaking gently, walking forward, looking up at the Sheikah eye covering, "I _understand_. I'm going to the Castle. I'll stop the Calamity."

Maz's hands balled into fists at his sides.

"And.." Link continued. "I don't know if I can stop the curse. But I'm going to _try_. That's all I can really do after all."

Maz let out a ragged sigh. "You really are a tiny brave _fool_ , last descendent of the Zonai."

Link just laughed softly as she took the Sheikah slate back from Chi, placing it on her belt once more, "Yeah.. I guess I am."

\---

[Minus four hours.]

In Zora's Domain, Sidon gasped as he awoke in the royal chambers. He had been drifting in and out of sleep constantly, never being able sleep for that long. His yellow eyes drifted to the Ceremonial Trident resting against the wall of their chambers, then outside of the little window. Groaning a little, he pulled himself out of the small but deep pool of water, cracking his neck a little.

"Sidon." the Prince turned and spotted his father, Dorephan in the much larger pool of water between his own pool and Mipha's on the other side. "I'm just going for a walk father, I'll be back."

"You're going to Mipha's statue again, where you will stay for hours just staring at it."

The prince laughed a little nervously, "Sorry.. old habits die hard I guess."

Dorephan sighed, "The younger Zora want to take it down you know."

Sidon blinked as he moved back to the pool, placing his feet in it as he sat down on the side, "I don't think the elders will like that very much."

"It's not their decision. It's Mipha's."

Sidon cocked his head, "Did she.. tell you this?"

"No, but it's painfully obvious to all of us how she feels. She could barely look at the statue when she used to come down here while you were off looking after Zora's Domain these last few months."

"I see.." Sidon frowned making a little swirl in his pool of water with one finger.

"Would it bother you? Taking down the statue."

"Of course not, if my sister wants it down, then of course we shall take it down." Sidon sighed a little, "..It will be weird though, we've had it there for so long that the plaza will look empty without it."

"Maybe we should build a new statue then."

"Of what?"

Dorephan let out a small hum, then glanced over at Sidon smiling, " _Both_ of you. Our Domain's protector Mipha, and our future King, Sidon, your tridents raised together."

Sidon chuckled, "We'll let the Zora decide first and foremost. But.. I think I would like that father."

\---

[Minus three hours.]

Bludo looked out into Goron City, spotting the young Goron overlooking the front of the city, a small bridge just over the entrance his 'secret hideout' as he called it, and the elderly Goron shuffled his eye patch a little as he headed over to him. "Yunobo."

The Goron youth glanced over his shoulder, "Hi Bludo, goro."

"You should really get some sleep you know."

"It's okay, I slept earlier and I'm wide awake now, I want to keep watch over the city."

Bludo sighed, "I'll keep watch with you as well." the elderly Goron looked up into the starful sky, "Nice night today. Not even a blood moon."

"Yeah, goro, I was sure it was gonna be a blood moon tonight, since it's the one hundred year anniversary tomorrow. But I guess not."

Bludo laughed, "Maybe that boar monster in the castle figured it's lost now that all four Divine Beasts are free."

"..Maybe." Yunobo frowned as he looked away. Somehow, after seeing that fight in the desert, he couldn't accept that the Calamity would have just given up.

"I remember your first blood moon you know."

"Really, goro? I don't remember.."

"It was before we gave you your brothe- er.. father's old home, so you were back in my home. Even though we were safe and had guards at every possible entrance to the village so no monster could get inside the city, you were screaming your head off when those odd wispy things filled my home. You were begging me to make it stop."

Yunobo looked embarassed, "Really? Sorry about that.. I know I was just a kid, but I should've figured out that you couldn't stop it. No-one could. That's just how the blood moon is. It's been like that even since _you_ were a kid, right?"

"Yeah, but.. that night.. I actually wanted to _do_ something you know?" Bludo crossed his arms as he shut his other eye, "If the Calamity was right in front of me right then, I would have fought it myself to protect you." Bludo laughed a little, "Even though my legs would have have been shaking the entire time."

"Goro?!" Yunobo was staring at him, " _You_ were scared?!"

"Of course I'm scared!" Bludo lightly punched the other Goron in the back of the head, "I was terrified everytime I took you up to Rudania, Goddess, I was scared everytime I took you out for training!" Yunobo was staring at him, eyes wide and Bludo sighed, rubbing his own beard, "..I felt guilty about it everytime. Taking you out there. You were obviously terrified, but I just.. wanted to make you stronger." he glanced away from him, "I'm old Yunobo and every day I was afraid I was going to die, like your father did, and that you would be left alone. I just.. wanted to make you strong enough so that you would be able to protect yourself." he sighed outwardly, "And I know that's not an excuse. You were so tiny and scared all the time, and I didn't help. And I'm just.. sorry. Okay?"

Yunobo just smiled, "Well, I can protect you and the city now Bludo." he looked up at Death Mountain, smiling wildly, "And I've decided what I want to do."

"Yeah?"

"I want to become Rudania's Pilot, after grandpa Daruk is gone."

Bludo wheezed, spluttering a little, "You _WHAT_?!"

Yunobo smiled sheepishly, "I know, I know, it won't be for ages, we still have many more years with grandpa Daruk yet. I know you need a strong soul in order to pilot a Divine Beast, and I already have grandpa's power so I must be at least a little bit there already." Yunobo leaned over on the bridge, leaning on his arms, "I want to start training as soon as possible, the earlier I start, the better I can become at it, right?" Bludo was staring at him and Yunobo laughed nervously, "Do you.. do you think grandpa Daruk would be okay with that? Me wanting to become the next Pilot I mean."

Bludo sighed, placing his hand on Yunobo's back as they looked up at the night sky. "I think Lord Daruk is going to be so happy, he's going to actually burst into tears when you tell him, kid."

\---

[Minus two hours.]

Teba and Saki were sitting in their home, Saki watching over their son Tulin who was asleep in his hammock, while Teba looked out the little window at Revali's Landing in the distance. "Do you think we should rename it Saki?"

"Hm?" Saki was glancing over at him and Teba turned around, crossing his wings, "The _landing_. The village named it in honour of Master Revali, but I don't think he's very appreciative of it. It just made the entire village Hero worship him even _more_."

"I thought Master Revali _liked_ the adoration."

Teba sighed, "So did I. But you saw how he was the past month. I had to basically force him to come down here to talk with me, Harth and Elder Kaneli, and he could barely even _look_ at the landing while he was here."

Saki let out a hum as she closed her eyes, "I think Master Revali just needs some time, that's all."

Teba frowned, looking up at the ceiling of his hut. "..I hope so. I don't like seeing him like that. From the stories we were told, passed down through the generations, he was such a great warrior, boastful and a little headstrong, but he _earned_ his rightful place as our Champion." Teba frowned, "Hey, Saki.. do you remember Kitt?"

Saki shivered a little. "Isn't he the Rito who joined the Yiga Clan?"

"Yeah. I saw him back there in the desert you know. I haven't seen him since I was a child. I think he had an argument with his parents and left the village, none of us have seen him since."

"How was he?"

"He looked _exhausted_. The desert heat can't be good for a Rito. I was only there for about two hours and even with a chilly elixir it still affected me."

"Kitt.. he was even older then us, wasn't he?"

Teba nodded, "You and I are only in our mid thirties, but Kitt must be.. what, early to mid fourties?"

Saki wrapped her wings around herself, "Goddess.. he's been in the Yiga Clan longer then he was _here_." she looked at her husband, "Why did he join the Yiga Clan anyway? What if they didn't accept him. I thought they were only Sheikah traitors who wouldn't accept anyone not Sheikah. They could have _killed_ him. Why risk it?"

Teba frowned, "Kass knew him, back then. He said Kitt was always under a lot of pressure by his parents. He was very gifted. They would always go on about how talented he was, that if he kept training he was going to be the next Revali."

"The next Revali.." Saki shut her eyes, "They said that about _you_ too, didn't they?"

"I'm very lucky. I had Harth and we would always train against each other, pushing each other to new heights, even if Harth evantually ended up giving up ever trying to reach me." Teba sighed, "But Kitt.. I don't think he had _anyone_ like that. Kass was never a fighter after all. And the expectations of his parents.. even though our land of Hyrule is like how it is.." Teba shut his eyes, "He had nowhere to use his skills. No wonder he ended up leaving the village."

Saki turned to look at Tulin, watching their son sleep as his chest rose and fell. "..Do you think we Rito push our children too hard? Always pushing ourselves forward, trying to be the best we possibly can.."

The two were silent for a moment then Teba reopened his eyes, "I think.. there's nothing _wrong_ with wanting to push yourself forwards, trying to become better then you were yesterday. As long as you don't completely destroy yourself in the process." Teba smiled, "It also helps if you have a _friend_ next to you too, so you can push yourselves forwards together, while also making sure that each other aren't pushing themselves too hard."

"A friend.." Saki hummed, "Do you think Master Revali saw the other Champions as his friends?"

The two of them looked to the table, where Master Revali's diary was lying. "I like to think so, even if he probably wouldn't admit it."

"Even the Hylian Champion?"

Teba glanced at Saki, but found he didn't have an answer for that one. Despite himself though, Teba hoped so.

\---

[Minus one hour.]

Riju leaned forwards in her throne as the group of Gerudo soldiers came into the throne room from the barracks, "How was it?" she asked.

"Deserted." Teake resheathed her scimitar, "They've completely abandoned Kurasa Valley."

Riju covered her mouth, "Even the children?"

Teake nodded. "We couldn't find a single person in the entire base. We searched it from top to bottom, left no room unturned. Speaking of which.." Barta walked over to them, dropping down the ancient orb, with the orange glowing text over it, "We found _this_ there."

"Lady Urbosa's orb.."

Buliara grimaced, "That's not good. We should let Kakariko Village know."

"Where are they even _going_ with all those children? Surely they won't be having them fight. They're not even properly trained."

Buliara glanced at Riju, "Who knows. They're desperate, panicking. The Yiga Clan has always been dangerous, but right now we have no idea _what_ they're capable of."

"What about the ex member, Dorian, you said his name was?" Teake spoke up, "Maybe we should move to protect him too, he _is_ under our protection after all."

Riju gave out a little laugh as she looked up, "I really don't think he needs protection, I don't know if you saw what he was doing back there, but he is _really_ powerful." Riju looked down at her hands, "I did mean what I said, he is technically under our protection, even if he doesn't need it, but I mostly said it back there to prove a point. That messing with him means messing with _all_ of us."

"And you were so good Riju." Buliara bent down to the little Chief, "You were so strong and brave. You acted, not just as a Chief to our people, but as a leader for all of us back there."

Teake crossed her arms, looking a little guilty, "..To be honest, I couldn't have done it. When that Yiga leader showed up, if he had given _me_ that offer, I would have have just given that blademaster to him."

"Teake!" Buliara snapped, looking at her, "Where's your pride as a Gerudo?"

"I have pride as a Gerudo!" she glanced back at her soliders, "But right then, I was thinking of _them_. The Hylians we fought alongside too. There might have barely been any of them, but we were exhausted after that battle. The lives that could have been lost.. against the life of one blademaster." Teake sighed, "Of course, I feel guilty about it _now_ , and I am ultimately glad you didn't take the offer Lady Riju."

Riju just nodded as the soldiers left back for the barracks, and Buliara glanced at the little Chief. She was still looking at her hands. "Lady Riju..?"

Riju's glanced up at her bodyguard, "Ah.. I'm sorry Buliara. It's just.." she shut her eyes briefly, "I can't stop thinking about when Lady Urbosa was lying there in the sands. I was so _scared_. I thought she was going to die."

"She didn't." Buliara spoke softly, "You saved her. _All_ of you."

Riju suddenly snapped her fingers, but nothing happened. The Gerudo girl sighed as Buliara looked at her. "I was able to hold Urbosa's lightning right there in my hands.. but I still haven't been able to figure out how to use it myself. I thought that maybe.."

Buliara bent down completely, right on her knees in front of Riju, taking the girl's hands, "Lady Riju, we've been over this many times. You need not compare yourself to your great aunt. You are an amazing Chief of your own right. You even went out there in the desert sands to find a molduga, didn't you?" Buliara sighed, "Even though I was frantic with worry, you did it to help one of our own."

Riju looked away, "Oh.. I barely did anything though. That was all Link.." Buliara noted the blush on the girl's face, " _she_ fought the molduga, I just distracted it."

Buliara smiled wryly, standing up quickly and turning away to hide the smile. "Nonsense. If you hadn't gone out there in the first place, Link would have never even found out about it. She's on an important mission, she probably wouldn't have had the time to do anything else once she got here to the town. And we have no idea when she's coming back. Because of your quick thinking, you managed to get that vai her molduga guts to cure her husband, _and_ save Lady Urbosa."

Riju sighed. "..I hope she comes back soon. I know she was only here for a day, but with everything that happened I didn't get that much time with her.."

Buliara couldn't stop the grin that time, "You _like_ her."

Riju's eyes widened, and she looked to Buliara as her blush deepened. "..EH?!"

\---

[Zero.]

"Open your eyes."

There was a voice calling to her. Was that.. a boy's voice? All she could see, all she could feel, was a soft blue light, beckoning her to awaken.

"..Open your eyes.."

There it was again. And this time, groggily, the girl tried to obey his voice, opening her eyes, as a soft (yet piercing) blue glow appearing in front of her, making her wince a little, the brightness making her eyes close again.

"Open your eyes."

She could feel something around her. Some form of.. liquid? Energy? She couldn't tell. Where was she? _Who_ was she?

"Wake up, Zelda."


	30. Hyrule Castle Part I

The morning light was bright and Zelda squinted, raising her hand to shade her blue greenish eyes as she stepped out of the small cave and onto the cliffside, overlooking this large land she appeared to be in.

The voice that had called out to her.. it had gone completely silent after it spoke her name. The strange liquid surrounding her had disappeared and she had climbed out of the strange device she had been lying in. The room she had been in was foggy and had blue lights all over it, and there had been an odd pedestal near her that she had spotted. The pedestal appeared to have some sort of slot inside it, as it had once stored something, but it had been completely empty. Regardless, Zelda had tapped her hand to it.. and the door in the chamber had opened for her, revealing a second larger chamber. There were a lot of strange crates in this second chamber, as well as two chests, which she had opened. The first had had a pair of brown strappy boots as well as some odd golden jewelry, bracelets and a necklace, but the second had had an old ragged shirt and well worn trousers, which she had immediately changed into.

The strange white and gold dress she had been wearing previously was dirty and damaged, but even if it hadn't been Zelda felt.. weird wearing it. It was uncomfortable in a way she couldn't explain. So instead she had taken the brown clothing, the old shirt and well worn trousers. They were ragged and baggy on her, but they felt.. nice. She had taken the old dress back to the odd bed she had been lying in, folding up the dress and placing the shoes and jewelry too on top of it, before leaving them there on top of the bed. She had no idea what the dress meant, but somehow.. she felt like she had to say goodbye to it, before moving back to the second chamber again.

Luckily this time she didn't have to touch the odd pedestal again, as the door there was already open, revealing a staircase leading to the outside world, so Zelda had followed it. As she had walked forwards, the strange blue fog seemed to disappear and she became emboldened, walking a little faster with step until finally she had made it out of the cave.

As the light of the sun stopped being so bright in her eyes, Zelda looked around this land, gasping loudly. It was.. beautiful. Nothing but trees and lush green land everywhere she looked. It was serene and peaceful. But also.. strangely kind of sad? There was a massive mountain all the back there in distance and she could see the smoke clouds billowing out of it all the way from here. She had no idea who she was outside of her name Zelda or what she was doing here. But she knew one thing. She wanted to explore this land. But doing so would be difficult. This area of land she was on seemed to be quite high, not just the cliff, but the entire little section of land seperate from the rest of the land out there. Jumping off seemed foolish. She would have to find another way down from this raised area of land.

Zelda turned around, looking at the more closer land that the cliff was connected too and spotted something. There was a little cave not too far down from her with a lit fireplace. And there was someone sitting at the fireplace. Zelda's eyes lit up. A person! Was it the voice that called out to her? So she wasn't alone in this strange land after all. After the voice stopped speaking to her, to be honest she had been kind of worried. She had no idea who she was or what she was doing, but the only thing she could do now was keep going forward right?

Taking in a little breath, Zelda walked forwards and her clothed foot hit something. She blinked, looking down. There was a tree branch right by her foot, and she bent over, picking it up and turning it over in in her hands.

A slight buzzing sound make her look up and she noticed the tree in front of her. There were some odd mushrooms growing out of the bottom of it and on the tree itself.. oh! She spotted it, some sort of blue.. bug like creature, making that buzzing noise.

Zelda poked out her tongue a little, as she aimed the tree branch, throwing it at the tree. She hadn't thrown it far enough though, and the tree branch just whacked at the bottom of the tree, the noise startling the blue bug and Zelda pouted as she watched it fly off, before heading back to the tree, picking up the tree branch once more, as well as the red mushroom next to it, turning it over a little before hesitantly lifting it to her mouth, chewing a bit of the head. Huh, so it was edible, if a little bland tasting. Maybe that fireplace she had spotted earlier would help with that.

Zelda continued down the path, before spotting.. ah! Some sort of fauna of this land, a bushy tailed creature. It looked so cute.. she didn't want to disturb it, so she crept down on her knees, trying to sneak past it as quietly as she could. Once Zelda had gotten past it enough, she got back to her feet before continuing on the path stopping at a tree with some apples on it and finally reaching the little cave she had seen before.

Zelda could seen the person then much more clearly. A young girl, much younger then her, who had dark skin, strange half white half blonde hair and bright green eyes. She was wearing some odd white clothing with a strange symbol on it.. oh! She recognised that symbol, the weird red eye, it had been all over the chamber she had woken up in. Zelda reached up on her toes, plucking one of the apples off the tree before walking over to the girl.

"Hello?" she called out.

The girl looked up at her and smiled, "Hi."

"Who are you?"

"Hmm.." the girl pondered for a moment, shutting her eyes, "You know what? That's a good question. _Who_ am I?"

"Oh no." Zelda panicked a little as her hands tightened around the apple, "Please don't tell me you've lost your memory too. I have no idea where I am, and I was hoping you could help."

The girl's eyes widened, "S-sorry! I didn't mean to scare you, I know who I am it's just.." she sighed out a little, looking away from her, "I just don't know if that's _me_ anymore." the girl let out a little sad laugh and Zelda had the impression that this girl had been through a lot, "Sorry, you're probably confused and I'm not helping am I? I don't have the answer for that particular question, but hopefully I can answer anything else you want to know?"

Zelda moved to sit down next to the warm fireplace, "Where are we?"

"Oh that I can answer." the girl looked over her shoulder, "This is the Great Plateau. Accoriding to old legends, this is the birthplace of the entire kingdom of Hyrule."

"Hyrule.." So that was the name of this land. Zelda looked around the smaller area they were in. There was a strange building just past a small pond in the distance and she pointed to it. "What's that?"

"The Temple of Time." the girl answered, "I was told that long ago it was the site of many sacred ceremonies, but I wouldn't know of any of that. It was long before I was born."

"I see.." Zelda moved the apple to her mouth as she bit into it. Sweet and tasty, better then the mushroom by a long shot. "I'm Zelda by the way."

The girl sighed, "..I know. I've been waiting for you to wake up."

Zelda blinked, looking back up at the girl who was frowning a little. "Do you.. know me?"

"No.. not really. But I was sent to get you. Speaking of which.." the girl was handing her something and Zelda took it from her. It was a folded up red cloth with wood attached to it and an odd crescent like symbol with two 'wings' each side of the crescent.

Zelda opened up the odd item. It looked like she could carry it over her head. "What is it?"

"A paraglider. I was told it used to be yours. With it, you will be able to safely fly off the cliffs to the main area of Hyrule." the girl chuckled a little as she moved to stand, "Not like we really need it, now that I have-- h-hey wait, where are you going?!"

Zelda didn't need to be told twice. She was running down the area of the Great Plateau towards the cliff north in the distance. The idea of finding out more about herself really wasn't capturing her attention right now. She would rather learn about this strange land she was in instead.. Hyrule was it the girl had said? Maybe go to that mountain in the distance? She didn't know anything about this land and it was all so exciting and new to her.

"HEY!" the girl was yelling as she chased after her, "We need to go to Kakariko!"

"I don't know where that is!"

"I can take you there! I have a way to get there immediately!"

"That sounds boring, I would rather get there myself. Just show me the way mystery girl!"

" _ZELDA_!!"

Zelda reached the cliffside and leapt off, laughing as she held the paraglider by the handles and over her head as she glided for the little forest just below the Great Plateau. This whole land of Hyrule.. she wanted to explore every nook and cranny of it!

\---

The sun was lowering in the sky and Revali was pacing around just outside of Impa's home while the other Champions watched him. The other Sheikah were watching him too as his pacing got faster and faster. "What's _taking_ so long?" Revali muttered, "Surely whatever the monk needed to be done would be finished by now? This is even longer then it took to free any of us."

"Revali.." Mipha spoke quietly and the Rito squawked as he flapped his wings, "I _know_ I need to be patient! But how much more patient am I supposed to be?!"

Daruk laughed a little as he glanced at the guard who was standing outside Impa's home. "Sorry about this, uh.. Cado was it?"

Cado just laughed, "It's no problem Lord Daruk." the guard looked out at the villagers who were watching the Rito flap around with wide smiles on their faces and he couldn't help but smile too. Before, their smiles had felt so fake, just a persona they had put on around each other and travelers, but as more and more news came from Kass the entire village had really changed these last few months. Not just the village either.. even the Hylian travelers who were coming into their village seemed more happier. Livelier. Kakariko had always treated it's travelers civilly, but it had ended there. They had always remained at a distance. But now.. Cado watched as siblings Lasli and Claree spoke with a group of Hylians near the armour shop and his own heart felt light. Even him and Rola had been on better speaking terms recently.

Still.. there was one family in particular that hadn't changed much in the months, and Cado still felt guilty at that as he glanced to the tree near Kiyah's home, spotting the Sheikah woman sitting with her daughters as she told them stories. If anything, poor Kiyah had been becoming even more miserable with each new thing Kass told them about Link's journey. 

( _"I should have never let her go. I wanted to genuinely help her.. but also it must have looked like that I was so happy that the Hero was alive that it was like I completely forgot she was just a child." Cado frowned at her words as the two sat by the cooking pot one evening after the last time Kass had come back after Medoh, "Kiyah.. you weren't to know how things were to turn out."_

_Kiyah wrapped her arms around herself, just looking beyond hopeless as she looked at the flames under the cooking pot, "Kass said he rejected the letter you know." Cado swallowed, looking away from her. Dorian was still a painful subject for both of them. Cado had trusted him completely after he had come clean about his past after all._

_Kiyah shut her eyes, a painful look crossing over her face, "I really thought.. I genuinely believed he would come back you know? I don't understand.. why.. why is he still there? I thought he was doing it to support us, but.. how can he still be with the Clan as they try and have a thirteen year old child killed?"_

_Kiyah looked up, tears running down her face, "Maybe after all these years I just need to face reality Cado. That Dorian just wasn't the man I thought he was."_ ) _  
_

Glancing at the Gerudo Champion Urbosa, Cado could only imagine how the Clan was reacting right now, to the knowledge that all four Champions were alive and the Divine Beasts free. Cado sighed as he looked up into the orange sky. Dorian.. what was he doing right now? 

( _"..You know, you kind of remind me of someone I left back in the Clan." They were taking a break after a recent training session and Cado wheezed a little at his words, glancing back at Dorian with wide eyes. Dorian looked at him and there was a sadened look in the Sheikah's grey eyes, "My ex partner when I was a footsoldier." the ex Yiga sighed, crossing his arms, "His name is Bant. Despite being Yiga, Bant is rather.. kind. It was an odd trait to have, he certainly didn't get it from being raised in the Clan that's for sure." Dorian frowned as he looked away guiltily, "I certainly wasn't like that back then." He then chuckled a little, seemingly remembering something, "He's a funny guy. I think you two would have got on along well." Dorian pressed his hands together, "I don't regret leaving the Clan you know. But I do regret leaving him there. Others too, I just wish.." Dorian let out a sigh as he glanced back at Cado, "..No, never mind, that's all in the past now. I'm sorry for rambling to you Cado."_

 _Cado just smiled sadly, "Dorian, you can tell me anything you want. Kakariko is your home now." Dorian chuckled, and yet there was an unreadable look in his grey eyes, "..Yeah. I guess it is."_ )

"Mipha! Daruk! Revali! Urbosa!"

Cado was pulled out of his memories by someone calling for the four Champions and he glanced to the northern exit of the village as the tiny Sheikah researcher Robbie and his Hylian wife Jerrin entered the village and the Hylian let out a tired sigh as she dropped Robbie's various equipment to the ground, "Thank the Goddess we finally made it. I really need to take a nap."

Robbie adjusted his glasses as he headed up to the four Champions, "Look at you all, here and alive. I can still barely believe it even now months later."

Urbosa smiled at him, but there was a sadness to her smile as she moved to stand, "Nice to see you too Robbie." the tiny Sheikah laughed, "Look at you Lady Urbosa, you were there when I was born weren't you, but now I'm way older then you! Haha!"

"Yeah, I still don't get that." Daruk frowned, "Even though Fire tried to explain it to me tons of times.."

A new voice called out to the five, "It's because your furnaces energy was altered to the same kind that powers the Shrine of Resurrection just like on the Great Plateau, similar but not exactly the same, keeping your bodies in suspended animation and so you didn't lose your pre Calamity memories. CHECK IT!"

Check it..? That sounded like..

There was a little girl running up to them from the southern entrance, and the Champions looked down at her, their eyes wide, "..Purah?" It _looked_ like her, but that couldn't be right.. she looked like she was about six years old, when she should be over 120.. maybe Purah had a daughter? Or a granddaughter..

"Ahahaha~!" the little girl grinned at them, adjusting her glasses, "I knew you'd all be shocked!" she did her pose with both hands, index, little finger and thumb pressed outwards, while her middle and ring finger were pressed on her palm, "Look what I managed to do by studying your remnants of your furnaces energy! I developed an anti aging rune!"

Robbie stared at her, "Of _course_ you would do something crazy like that.." he smiled a little, "Still, it's good to see you in such high spirits Purah. Last time we were all here for Sheik's funeral you were so miserable it was genuinely painful to see."

"Oh hush you, don't pretend like you weren't miserable back then too. Beside that's all in the past now!" Purah beamed at the four Champions, "Look at this! We have all our Champions back, and now we're gonna kick into overdrive to get that monster out of the castle, so we can begin rebuilding Central Hyrule!"

Behind them, Symin finally caught up, almost collapsing as he dropped Purah's equipment right next to Robbie's before waving a little at Jerrin who waved back from where she was relaxing, sitting near the inn. "How do we put up with them Jerrin?" the Sheikah asked as he wiped the sweat from his brow and the Hylian just shrugged. "Been asking myself that same question for years now Symin."

The Champions just looked at each other and laughed. Even Revali managed to let out a little chuckle. "So." Purah adjusted her glasses once more, looking around the village, "Where's our little Hero anyway?

Then another third voice called out from the southern exit, "No, _stop_! You can't just go waltzing in there, let me go in first, let me explain!!"

"No way! I want to do what we need to do here so I can go explore some more!"

All the Champions as well as Robbie and Purah completely froze. That second voice.. that sounded like.. Urbosa lifted her hand to her mouth, shaking.

There was a sudden sound of galloping hooves, and the next thing they knew, the Royal White Stallion was right there in Kakariko Village and riding on it's back..

Urbosa could feel the tears running down her face as the girl climbed down from the horse, looking around the village, "So this is Kakariko, huh? Nice place."

Behind them, Link yelled out as she came riding forwards on something that kind of looked like their Divine Beasts, but smaller and horse like. Link panted as she climbed off the odd mini Divine Beast, grabbing her slate and tapping it, the mini Divine Beast being stored back into the slate. "Zelda, please, just listen to me!"

"No way! You still haven't told me anything about this place or even your name mystery girl." Zelda looked up, spotting the four Champions and all the Sheikah who were all staring at her with wide eyes. Revali was trembling hard, his wings pressed over his beak as they looked at the girl, Urbosa still had silent tears running down her face and even Mipha and Daruk just looked _stunned_. There she was, Princess Zelda, exactly how she had been a century ago, alive and well in front of them, and they just _could not_ believe their eyes.

The girl had looked so happy before, but at their faces and the way she was staring at her, she pulled away, frowning a little as she looked at Link. "..Hey, mystery girl why are they all looking at me like that?" they then noticed the look of confusion in her face, "..And who are they all anyway?"

Oh. _Oh_.

Purah stepped forwards, her eyes wide behind her glasses. "You were in the Shrine of Resurrection. You've completely lost all your memories." Urbosa collapsed to her knees, breaking out into choked sobs and Mipha rushed to her, placing her hands on the Gerudo Chief's shoulders. Revali turned to Link, his wings tightening at his sides. "We can fix this, can't we? We can restore her memories right?"

Link looked at him and the look on her face was beyond miserable. "Let's just get inside Impa's home and I'll explain everything. It's going to take a while."

\---

A few hours later, the Sheikah of Kakariko were still outside Impa's home even as the stars started to twinkle in the night sky. Link, Zelda, the four Champions, and the three Sheikah had been in there for ages now. Kiyah stood with Paya and Cado outside, her hands clasped together as they waited. Not a single Sheikah had wanted to leave. They were all here to support the Champions and their little Hero.. Link. Even Kiyah's daughters were still up, Koko and Cottla standing by their home, hands clasped together as they waited. Cottla was yawning a little, and Kiyah had tried to put her to bed, but with everything that had happened, the girl just couldn't sleep.

Paya reached up, rubbing her Sheikah symbol on her forehead, "I know she said it was going to take a while to explain everything, but this.."

"We'll just have to wait Lady Paya." Cado spoke out, not removing his eyes from Impa's home. It was so quiet it was almost unbearable, especially with how lively everything had been before.. the Princess had shown up. This changed things now that they knew she was alive, they all knew it. They would have to step up on protection for the village. There had been so many Hylians around.. word was going to get around very quickly that the Princess of Hyrule was alive. Cado swallowed nervously. Maybe they would have to stop travelers from coming into the village all together while she was here.

A sudden loud scream of despair disrupted the quietness of the village and the next thing they knew, Impa's doors had been thrown open and Champion Revali was running.. flying.. up and away from the others towards the pillars behind Impa's home. And Cado startled.. the Rito had been _crying_.

"Revali!! _REVALI_!!" Daruk was rushing out after him, looking up as the Rito flew higher. Daruk also had tears running down his face. Mipha walked out after him, her yellow eyes were raw and sunken, but suprisingly out of the four, she was the only one who wasn't crying. "Daruk.." Mipha spoke softly, "It's alright, I'll go talk to him."

Mipha turned to the water surrounding Impa's house, Lantern Lake and used her water powers, making a waterfall to follow Revali up to the highest pillar where the Rito was sitting on. Daruk watched her leave, then turned to the Sheikah who were all watching and sniffed a little, rubbing his eyes, "A-ah, sorry guys.. I just I just gotta.." the Goron actually seemed to let out a little _whimper_ , before hurriedly rushing back inside Impa's home.

Then.. finally, Link appeared, the Hylian girl's green eyes sunken and dull, dried tear tracks on her cheeks as she walked down the steps towards the Sheikah. Before she knew it, Kiyah was rushing forwards, "Link.."

The girl looked up at her, and forced a smile onto her face, "Alright Kiyah?" she looked to the other Sheikah and her lip trembled, "S-sorry.. I don't think I can explain all that again.. I just.." she croaked out, "I just need to _sleep_ for now, okay?"

"Of course Link!" Cado placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, "I've spoken to Ollie and this time you won't be sleeping by the cooking pot, we wouldn't allow it, you can have a soft bed in the inn free of charge."

Link smiled weakly, "You didn't have to do that.. I have rupees now."

Despite herself, Kiyah frowned, "There are still Hylians in the inn. They know who she is, it will be too noisy, she needs somewhere quiet to sleep." she looked at the girl, "Link.. would you like to stay in my home tonight? I have a spare bed."

Link swallowed, looking up at Kiyah and there was such a look of despair and exhaustion in the girl's eyes that it was destroying Kiyah internally, "..You don't have to do that."

"Please, I insist. It's the least I could do for you after _everything_ you've done for Hyrule these past few months." Kiyah looked to the other Sheikah, "Is that okay with all of you?" the other Sheikah nodded. They were all looking at the girl, worry in their eyes for her.

Kiyah reached out her hand and Link swallowed, taking it as tears filled her own green eyes once more, and the two headed back to Kiyah's home, hands clasped as the rest of the Sheikah returned to their own homes.

Cottla was staring at Link, and it seems even the younger daughter was quiet right now, something that Kiyah was grateful for. "Koko, Cottla." Kiyah spoke quietly, "You can both go to sleep now, Link will be staying with us tonight, okay?" the girls nodded, heading up to their little room in the loft area as Kiyah lead Link to the main bed in the downstairs area.

Link looked at the bed miserably, before turning to Kiyah and saying as quietly as possible, "..This was yours and.."

"Link." Kiyah whispered, "It's _okay_. Honestly, please.. just don't worry about anything and get some sleep okay?" Kiyah's hand brushed through Link's hair, noting how half of her hair had turned pale Sheikah white and swallowing painfully. She had already known about this, Kass had mentioned it last time he was here and even though none of them had any idea what it meant, her heart still _hurt_ at the sight. ( _What is happening to her?_ )

Kiyah sat in the downstairs chair, right by the bed as Link just crawled onto it, not even pulling the duvet over her, before she fell asleep almost immediately.

\---

Revali couldn't stop crying and he hated himself for it. The things he had heard back there down in Impa's home.. he couldn't accept it. He wouldn't accept any of it.

"Revali." Mipha's soft voice spoke to him and his heart fell despite his own pain.

"No, not you." he turned to her, and Goddess, his voice actually _waivered_ , and he hated himself, "You should be down there with them, not up here with me."

"Revali, I wanted to be here with you."

"No you don't!" Revali snapped, before flinching and covering his beak with his wings. No, he couldn't get angry at Mipha. Out of all of them, she was probably the one suffering the most right now..

Mipha let out a sigh, coming to sit beside Revali as she reached out, placing her small red hand on one of his wings as she looked up at the starful sky.

"Why aren't you upset anyway.." Revali muttered quietly, "We just found out that your boyfriend is all but _dead_."

Mipha sighed, "I am sad that it's confirmed. But.. I think I already _knew_. And I accepted it long before we were all on the Great Plateau." Mipha glanced at him, a sad look in her eyes, "It's strange, I think I was more choked up about him appearing as a lynel in front of us. That I just didn't expect at all. And besides, Link was never my boyfriend, never officially anyway."

"But you were going to propose to him." Revali felt so numb. He didn't want to really talk about this, but he felt like he had no choice. He wanted to support Mipha. The other Champions.. were all they had now. Link was going to die and Zelda..

"What about you?" Mipha was saying quietly.

"What about me?"

"Zelda." Mipha looked at him, her yellow eyes locking with his green ones, and Revali's stomach plummeted. (No. He really didn't want to talk about this..) But Mipha continued softly, "She's never going to regain her memories. She will never remember us from back then."

Despite himself, Revali could feel the tears leaking from his eyes again.

( _"I'm sorry." Link spoke out numbly. "If we had the original Sheikah slate you all had one hundred years ago, there might have been a way to restore her memories but.." the girl shook as she clasped her hands together, "In order to sever the connection betwen my uncle and the Calamity, I first have to completely sever the connection between him and the Sheikah slate. The slate's energy itself is what is keeping him alive you see.." Link swallowed painfully as tears ran down her cheeks. "I have to completely cut off the energy source of the Sheikah slate, and once that's done.. there will be no way to restore it." Link looked up, sobbing heavily, "I'm so sorry! I was able to save you all, but I couldn't save my uncle! And I can't restore the Princess memories either!"_ )

Revali was crying again, even as he tried to stop himself and Mipha pressed her head to his shoulder. "Did you love her?"

"I don't know! I just don't.. know, okay? Our relationship never developed enough for that kind of thing. I didn't _dislike_ her. That's.. all it ever really was."

Mipha tightened her hand slightly on Revali's wing, and the Rito shudered a little.. but placed his other wing on top of her hand, as the two looked up into the grey moon above them.

\---

Robbie breathed in the cold air of Kakariko's night as he stood against the railing of Impa's home, looking down at the Sanke Carp that were swimming around her home as Purah came up behind him, "Robbie..?" the Sheikah girl called out quietly, "..How are you feeling?"

The other Sheikah researcher didn't respond and Purah sighed, leaning up on her toes as she looked down at the fish. "You know this doesn't change how we all feel about you, right? You're Sheikah."

"Am I though?"

"Yes of course you are." Purah snapped, glancing at him. "Come off it Robbie, you're over 120 years old, surely _this_ isn't going to break you."

Robbie sighed, crossing his arms, "See here's the thing Cherry-"

" _Don't call me that!_ " Purah squeaked, looking around wildly, before reaching up and touching her hair where her streak of red had once been in her teens and twenties, the very reason why she had been nicknamed Cherry by Robbie in the first place, "What if Jerrin hears? She'll lose her _mind_. You and I haven't been together since we first split up even _before_ the Calamity struck. We've been strictly coworkers for over a century now, after we both mutually agreed that if we continued it would make things messy between us at the Royal Lab."

Robbie waved his hand, nonchalantly, "..Purah. I already figured out father was probably an ex Yiga Clan member. It just made the most _sense_ to me. How else could he have known the things he did.." Robbie sighed, his breath appearing in the night, "..But finding out he was supposed to be the _leader_ of the Yiga Clan? That's completely different, and you know it."

Robbie turned to Purah, lifting his glasses, both of their Sheikah red eyes locking together. "I could have been your _enemy_ Purah." Robbie sighed, leaning over the railing, "..I always wondered why the Yiga Clan never came after me despite all my work for the Hyrulean army. Guess I know now why. I'm their current leader's _cousin_."

"And the direct descendent of the person who created not only the Yiga Clan, but the first Sheikah slate ever made." Purah hummed, "Which is why the Sheikah slates only activated for _you_." Robbie groaned, rubbing his eyes and Purah let out a sharp laugh, "Hey Robbie, think of it this way, just think about how _angry_ they must have been when they learned you had a kid with a Hylian. Check it~"

Despite himself, Robbie laughed. "Oh, I bet they _hated_ that." he glanced to Purah, smiling a little.

"This doesn't change how you feel about your father does it?" Purah asked quietly.

"Nah.. I know I barely knew him after all, but I still respected him enough that I wanted to follow in his footsteps." Robbie chuckled a little, "You know what? In fact I think I'm even _more_ in awe of him now then I was before. Think about how hard it must have been. He had his entire life made for him, but he still left it in order to do the right thing." Robbie hummed as he shut his eyes, "..My father really was an amazing person Purah."

"He sure was."

Robbie smiled, reopening his eyes as he made his little pose and she grinned, replying with her own and the two just started laughing gently in the night.

\---

Urbosa was watching over the sleeping Zelda who was in the spare bed in Impa's home. She was snoring loudly, her limbs all over the mattress and the duvet wrapped around her body messily. Urbosa could hear Impa coming up the stairs and the Gerudo glanced over at her, before looking back to Zelda's sleeping form, "..She's like a completely different person now."

"Yes." Impa moved to sit beside Urbosa. "..I wonder how different _he_ would have been, if that original prophecy had come true."

Urbosa shut her eyes, crossing her arms and tilting her head a little. "..I wonder which would have been better." she spoke almost too quietly, "That prophecy or our current reality."

"Does it matter?" Impa hummed, "I think they're both equally tragic. If that original prophecy had come true, the entirety of Hyrule would have been more or less destroyed. We would have lost all four of you, Link would be in the Shrine of Resurrection for one hundred years and Zelda would have been trapped in the Castle."

"But instead we ended up with a world where only Central Hyrule was destroyed, with all four of us surviving, Link dying and Zelda.." Urbosa sighed, looking down at her, "She's never going to awaken her sealing powers now is she?"

"Unlikely. She doesn't even _know_ about them after all. I guess we could always tell her but.." Impa looked over at Urbosa a grave look in her eyes, "..Should we? She seems.. genuinely _happy_ like this. I haven't seen her this happy since.." the two looked away other, the words going unsaid and Urbosa shut her eyes again, the Queen's words coming to her then. ( _"I just wish for her happiness."_ )

The Gerudo chief sighed a little, "I saw you took down the tapestry by the way."

Impa hummed, "It didn't feel right, keeping it up."

"Will you put up the new one instead?"

"..Maybe. If we can get a much bigger copy of it for my wall." Impa unscrolled the tapestry and they both looked down at it, wincing, "Still.. it is _extremely_ painful to look at. I know the Calamity is a monster.. but that scream of _agony_ coming from it.." Impa shivered, "I don't know how the Zonai were able to make a tapestry that makes you _feel_ the emotions of everyone inside it, but eveytime I look at this tapestry I just.." Impa quickly scrolled the tapestry back up, placing it in between them, before wrapping her arms around herself, "It doesn't feel right not to memorialize it, since it is our actual history, and we need to learn from it so we future generations don't make the same mistakes that our ancestors did.."

Urbosa took a deep breath, taking the tapestry once more and unscrolling it, before turning it over. The back of the tapestry seemed like it was completely blank, but when you turned off the lights.. Urbosa leaned over then, dimming the lanterns in the bedroom completely and the hidden Zonai message appeared. On the back of the tapestry there were little glowing 'footsteps' coloured in purple, much like malice. But they weren't footsteps at all. They were _babies_. Gerudo voes. And in the center of the 'footsteps' was the Zonai symbol. A spiral throughout history of the pain and suffering caused, not just by the curse itself, but the people who were so terrified of it happening in their time that they did unspeakable unthinkable acts..

"Goddess.." Impa covered her mouth. They had known a little about this before of course, from their own history books, but seeing it on the tapestry.. and just how _many_ 'footsteps' there were on the back of it..

"It must have been going on for hundreds of years even _before_ the Calamity happened." Urbosa murmured quietly, reaching out and touching one of the 'footsteps' on the back of the tapestry. She relit the lanterns and the message disappeared, turning the tapestry back over before touching the front of it, the actual Calamity itself. "I wish we could have learned more about _this_ part.." Urbosa scrolled the tapestry up one final time, "In the end we were never able to determine exactly what it meant."

Impa shut her eyes, "Maybe Link will tell us one day. When she's not completely _traumatized_."

"I dearly hope so. Because I want to make sure something like this _never happens again_."

\---

Many hours before in Tarrey Town..

Dorian sighed as he sat on his bed in the inn, Kiyah's letter in his hands still unopened. It was certainly heavier then he expected. Maybe she had so much to say that she had written on a dozen or so parchments? He shifted the letter a little, touching the Hylian letters that spelt out his name on the front of the envelope.. why was he so scared of opening this letter? Maybe because it would tell him what he already knew.. that he was never welcome back in Kakariko..

"Hey Dorian!"

Dorian jumped as Granté called for him, hearing the younger Sheikah boy come up the stairs of the inn, quickly putting the letter back in his pack as he turned to face the door just in time before he entered.

"They're all set up for the ceremony outside. You coming?"

Dorian blinked, "Are you going too?"

"Sure! The whole town was invited after all." Granté pondered for a moment, "I mean, that's only the Son employees, Hunnie's family and the other old couple who live here too, as well as us, Kass and the two Hylians who arrived yesterday, but still." Dorian glanced down, noting that Granté had pinned a strange five petaled white flower to his Sheikah jacket. That flower.. he was sure he had seen it before, but he wasn't sure where..

Granté noticed his stare, following his eyes to.. "Oh, do you not know what flower this is? It's supposedly very rare, my uncle told me there aren't that many left in Hyrule."

That was it. He had seen this flower on Sheik's Sheikah outfit before back in Kakariko, but he had no idea what it was called. "What is it?"

"My uncle told me it's called a Silent Princess. He told me that I should give it to the person I love." Granté cocked his head a little confused look on his face, "To be honest, I don't know much about that subject, but I thought it was appropiate to wear for today."

Dorian just nodded a little numbly. He wasn't sure if it was appropiate for _him_ to be attending this wedding all things considered, but he was staying here free of charge and it felt ruder _not_ to attend. He moved to stand up off his bed, "Well, we better go then." and Granté just grinned.

About twenty minutes later, the two Sheikah and the rest of the town were in front of the Goddess Statue. Near the cooking pot, Fyson's usual table for his wares had been cleared and instead the table was covered in food, one of which was a massive monster cake which Dorian grimaced at. Hunnie was drooling a little as she looked back to the table.

All the Son employees were the closest to the couple and Kapson was of course, officiating. Kass took the center place, right behind the happy couple, and the rest of them were a little further back. Dorian tried not to look at the Goddess statue right behind the Zora, instead keeping his eyes on the happy couple.

He was trying not to think about how, maybe if it he had stayed in Kakariko, this could have been him and Kiyah..

Kapson let out a little cough, before starting to speak, "Silence please, everyone. We shall now begin."

( _"Mama I'm bored, when do we get to eat?" the woman picked up the little girl, "Hunnie shhhh I've told you this won't take long, please just be quiet for now, okay?"_ )

"We are gathered here today to join Hudson and Rhondson in matrimony." Kapson turned to the Hylian with the tall bowlcut, "Hudson. Before the eyes of these witnesses and before those of Goddess Hylia, do you take Rhondson to be your wife, to have and to hold, in good times and in bad?"

"I do."

"Excellent." Kapson nodded, and he turned to the Gerudo, "And Rhondson. Before the eyes of these witnesses and before those of Goddess Hylia, do you take Hudson as your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health?" Kapson seemed to pause for a moment, "And do you also vow to name your childen in accordance with the Bolson Construction naming guidelines?"

Dorian's eyes widened and he actually covered his mouth as he tried not wheeze. ( _What.. what even IS this town?_ ) Next to him Granté was smiling widely, and the rest of the guests expect for Kass were starting at each other in confusion. Even poor Rhondson herself looked so confused as she turned to her would be husband, "Wait a moment, those vows are not traditional by anyone's standards!"

Bolson stood up, "You better not be getting cold feet Rhondson! Just so you know, if you back out on the marriage, I'll happily take your place~" Bolson seemed to even blush a little, "I certainly don't mind taking that vow! They're as traditional as it gets after all." 

Karson stared at Bolson, "I don't think she means traditional in that sense of the word!" Fyson just laughed, "A vow of undying tradition!" Pelison giggled, "And a vow of guidelines compliance!" and Greyson finally nodded, "I'll take that vow!" Hudson looked to his employees, nodding at them, "Think of future generations!"

Dorian turned to face Granté who was now wiping his face. "Beautiful.. how beautiful." the boy was whispering quietly, "Oh, how wonderful the bonds of this town are! It makes me wish my father had given me a -son name too." Kass looked over his shoulder, smiling a little at Dorian who must have the most deadpan expression he had ever felt on his face, because Kass just grinned even wider at it. The Rito bard turned back to the procession.

Rhondson was staring at them, then she let out a loud long sigh, placing one hand on her hip as she shook her head, "Well, those are the guidelines." she muttered quietly and then louder, "I do."

Kapson nodded, "Excellent." he let out another cough, before turning and ringing the little bell above the Goddess statue as Bolson began to throw around little pink confetti and rest of them clapped (Dorian found himself clapping too, despite the inanity of the whole situation) as Kapson continued, "And so dearly beloved, please help me in greeting this newly married couple. I wish this couple nothing but the utmost happiness as they set out on this journey of marital bliss!"

Later that evening, Dorian slumped on his stomach on his bed in the inn, full and exhausted. He'd even tried some of that monster cake (the smallest slice he could possibly cut off just to appease the couple) and surprisingly.. it had actually been _delicious_. Very sweet though. Link probably wouldn't have liked it according to Aryll. Good thing he was more or less immune to sweetness after living around mighty bananas his entire life.

Granté was laughing as he curled up into his own bed in the inn's bedroom, taking the book he had been reading from the nightstand. "What a fun day, eh Dorian?"

"Exhausting more like." Dorian muttered. Still.. despite everything, he couldn't help but smile a little as he pressed his face to the pillow. It was strange, the whole event had been inane and quirky but.. for a moment there, he genuinely felt like any other Hyrulean watching a fleeting moment of happiness in this depressing world and times they lived in. As Dorian curled up under the bed's duvet, his eyes drifted to his pack, with Kiyah's letter just sticking out of it and he shut his eyes defeatedly as sleep beckoned him. ( _Fine. You win bard. Tomorrow. I'll open Kiyah's letter tomorrow._ )

\---

Chi and Maz were sitting together in the rooms deep below even the Final Trial that Maz had unblocked off (albeit resentfully) and Chi sighed as she lay back in her own bed, looking up at the blue glowing ceiling. This place was like a time capsule, completely untouched for ten thousand years. Still, the bed felt.. uncomfortable. Like she didn't really belong it. After all it's not she could sleep like a real living person after all.

"Chi you look so undignified right now." Maz was muttering to her his arms crossed as he stood by the bed. "Come on now, you're a monk are you not? You should really act better then this."

"Knock it off Maz." Chi spoke out, "We're both ancient and _rotten_ and there's no-one here but us corpses, spirits and memories."

Maz sighed externally as he stepped away from her, looking around the room the two of them had slept in ten thousand years ago. The entire bedroom was like a mirror, two beds, two dressers, two side tables and a table in the center of the room with two chairs. Under the table there was still remnants of their work and research, old parchments and books, as well as bits and pieces of the now lost technology they had used to mass produce the Sheikah slates for the Royal Family and the monk bent down, picking up an ancient gear as he moved to sit in the chair.

Chi spoke up again, "You know, I was thinking of back then, at Ulri Mountain." Maz's fingers tightened around the ancient gear ever so slightly as he glanced back at his twin.

( _The two youngsters, barely ten years old were in Akkala just outside of their village, Kakariko.. which would evantually be renamed as Shadow Hamlet Village when the Sheikah moved south to Necluda. In between them, their little mini guardian that their father had created, the first of its kind, was beeping at them (Jikan, as Chi had affectionally nicknamed it, despite their father's insistance that it wasn't a toy or a pet and you shouldn't be naming it less you get attached). It was a little smaller then the guardians that would evantually be created and called scouts, but it was the same colour as the rest of them would be, black with glowing external orange lights, internal blue lights and a blue eye._

_Chi threw the little blue orb containing stasis rune magic she was holding into the air, before catching it in her hands once more, grinning at her brother. "Hey Maz, want to see something cool?" Maz shivered. It was never a good sign when she had that kind of gleeful expression. A few moments later he was even more confused as they found a rock, and Chi more or less forced both of them to climb it, before activating the stasis magic on the rock itself._

_"Ready when you are Jikan!" she called to the mini guardian and it beeped at them affirmatevely, before lowering its head firing many mini lasers into the frozen rock. Maz winced as he held onto the rock. Where was she going with this? Stasis was only to be used to freeze and kill monsters. No-one had ever used it on objects before. Still, he noticed that which each laser the stasis, which was originally yellow, was becoming a darker colour.. orange, and then red._

_"H-hey Chi, what's going to happen when.."_

_Chi grinned gleefully as she released the stasis magic and then Maz was screaming and holding on for dear life as the rock flew off into the air, his sister gleefully laughing and Jikan behind them giving the twins a thumbs up with one its long legs._

_"CHI WHAT IS THIS?!"_

_"KINETIC ENERGY STORED IN THE STASIS! FUN RIGHT?"_

_"IT MOST CERTAINLY IS NOT FUN CHIIIII!!"_

_They were lucky they had even survived, the rock falling harmlessly into Lake Akkala and the two swimming back to Torin Wetland, Chi laughing like a maniac as they collapsed back onto the land, their Sheikah clothing completely soaked as Jikan crawled up back up to them, beeping loudly._ )

Maz sighed, remembering Link doing the same thing back and right near Akkala too none the less, "Goddess, no wonder you and Link got on so well. You're exactly alike."

"Good. Would have been depressing if she ended up a emotionless doll of a Hero just like her predecessor that you wanted her to be."

"I was trying to make sure she was prepared for the road ahead."

"You _traumatized_ her Maz." Chi looked over her shoulder, "But hey, you should be pretty used to that huh?"

Maz scoffed, crossing his arms, "Don't give me that nonsense, considering what your Clan ended up becoming."

Chi huffed, "Yeah yeah I get it. We're both terrible people who did terrible things in the end." she looked back up at the blue glowing lights, "..You think, after this is all over and we move on, that we'll end up in the Spirit Realm?"

Maz sighed, "Of _course_ we'll end up in the Spirit Realm. There's nowhere else for us to go after all. All Hyruleans end up in the Spirit Realm, no matter what they did in their lives."

"So he'll end up there too?" Chi asked quietly, turning away from him.

Maz looked away from her. He genuinely didn't have an answer for that. The Spirit of the Hero and the Blood of the Goddess.. they had their own seperate spirits from the Hero's Spirit (which according to visions their ancestors had had of other timelines, had taken over a child who had never been destined to become the Hero.. Maz frowned, what had that Hero been called again? The Hero of Wind or something?) and the Blood of the Goddess worked in a similar way. Each Goddess Reborn, apart from the very first one had their own seperate spirit, connected by their bloodline and powers. But the Reincarnation of Hatred.. even now all these years later, they _still_ didn't know exactly how it worked.

"I don't know Chi. I just don't _know_."

\---

Link gasped a little as she awoke, shooting up from the bed into a sitting position, the Sheikah jacket that had been placed over her (Kiyah's it appeared) falling off her as she moved. It appeared she had somehow managed to sleep all night. She looked to Kiyah, who was snoozing in the little chair, watching over her until she had fallen asleep herself and the girl's eyes softened. She could see the gentle light of dawn in the small window of Kiyah's home and Link took in a deep breath.

One hundred years and one day. Link touched her hand to the Sheikah symbol of her stealth armour. She had wanted to go yesterday but.. today. It appeared today would finally be the day she would go to Hyrule Castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope ya'll like my little addition to the wedding scene, because apparantly that was in the Japanese version, which confirms that Bolson is indeed gay and I'm super mad that NoA removed it.


	31. Hyrule Castle Part II - Herald of the Calamity

Zelda was eating a bowl of veggie cream soup, her legs crossed as she sat on the floor of Impa's home, watching the elderly Sheikah and her granddaughter. Impa was sitting on her stack of pillows and Paya was cleaning the strange orb with strange orange text on it. Last night.. had been something hadn't it? She had been sitting there as the mystery girl, Link (but Zelda noticed how uncomfortable she had seemed when they called her that name and so Zelda wanted to refer to her as mystery girl instead for now), had spoke and spoke and _spoke_ for seemingly hours, while the others around them got even more miserable, until the.. Rito was it, had stormed out in tears.

Still, the looks they all had given her when Link had explained how she was never going to regain her memories.. Zelda frowned as she took another spoonful of soup. They had had such fun getting here, her and mystery girl. Zelda had fought some of the monsters down there in the forest, even as mystery girl had panicked and tried to protect her. ( _"I'm fine! I can fight!" Zelda had called out, taking some of the weapons laying around and easily taking out the strange red monsters, the bokoblins as she had called them._ ) before heading north through the plains. There were ruins all around them and Zelda had asked mystery girl about as many as she could. She didn't just want to explore after all, she wanted to learn as much as possible.

Mystery girl had explained how this area of land was damaged by something that now was in the castle miles ahead of them, pointing out the structure with the strange red purple mist that seemed to surround it, but that Zelda need not worry because it was going to be dealt with soon. As the two had continued north to a building called a stable (Riverside Stable) Zelda hadn't been able to take her eyes of the castle in the distance.

( _"All this damage, all these ruins, was done because of that?"_

 _"Mmhm." the girl nodded as they approached the stable. "It's only in this area, Central Hyrule. The guardians.. ah.. they're like.. big mechanical monsters, they were taken over by an event called the Great Calamity, which caused all this damage. You may not realise this now, seeing all this destruction, but I think we were actually kind of lucky, as horrible as that sounds. Those guardians they killed so many people.. but it could have been so much worse." the girl was shaking even as she spoke, and Zelda could see the tears filling her eyes. "It could have been all of Hyrule that was destroyed, but thanks to a certain person's.." she swallowed, "..bravery, the cost of life was significantly lower then it could have been."_ )

Zelda looked up into the soft lanterns on Impa's ceiling as her hands tightened around the bowl. The Hylian Champion (who had the same name as mystery girl).. he had sacrificed himself in order to save as many people as possible. Apparantly she had _known_ him one hundred years ago. The rest of them too, the Champions and the three Sheikah who had all been in here last night. But she didn't remember a single thing about any of them. Zelda had no idea how she felt about that.

As much as she wanted to travel, to explore this land of Hyrule, to learn as much about it, Impa had said that, for now, it was safer for her to stay here in Kakariko. They had called her a Princess. But she didn't _feel_ like a Princess. She felt like..

Zelda looked up as the doors to Impa's home opened and mystery girl was walking in, two Sheikah behind her. The guard from yesterday and a middle aged woman. Mystery girl was wearing a different set of clothing now, grey armour and a helmet that was currently removed, held under her arms. "Link." the woman spoke out, "I thought you were going to leave with the Champions, is this really that important? Can it not wait until after you return?"

"Yes!" mystery girl spoke as she turned to face them, her green eyes alight, "With everything that happened yesterday I didn't have the time to talk to you two, but I have to tell you two now before I leave! It's about Dorian!"

The mood in the entire room shifted immediately and the Sheikah woman raised her hand to her mouth, a look of deep pain passing over face. The guard winced, closing his eyes and even Impa looked miserable too, clasping her hands together as she sat on her stack of pillows. Zelda took another spoonful of soup. Who was Dorian? Paya immediately got up, "I-I'll go check the village!" and she fled from the room as the doors shut behind her.

"Link.." the Sheikah woman spoke out, and she placed her hands on mystery girl's shoulders, "It's _okay_. Elder Impa, Cado and I.. we've been talking a lot these last few weeks and we've accepted that Dorian is never coming back here."

A look of panic crossed Link's face, "No! Kiyah, _please_ tell me you didn't write that in your letter that you gave to Kass!"

"N-no.. but what we've been told since.."

Link shook her head, "Good! That's good, because it's okay now. Kiyah, Cado, Elder Impa.. Dorian left the Clan!"

The Sheikah woman, Kiyah, immediately fell to her knees as her hands shook terribly. "He's.. not with them anymore?"

Link nodded, "He betrayed them, to help us, to help _all_ of us, in the desert with Naboris and Urbosa." The guard, Cado, let out a shaky breath as he placed his hands on his face.

"Link." Impa spoke out quietly and there was a look on her face that she seemingly didn't quite believe the words that had been spoken, "Are you _sure_? Why would he do that, we still don't know the reason why he left the village in the first place. As far as we're aware, from Kass' words, Dorian was fully dedicated to the Yiga Clan."

Yiga Clan.. Zelda blinked. She had heard mystery girl mention them last night, but even now, she didn't really know _what_ they were.

Link swallowed painfully, moving to her knees in front of Kiyah who's hands were still shaking. "Kiyah." the woman looked up at her, tears filling her red eyes, "The reason he left.. he was afraid that if he stayed, the village, you, Koko and Cottla.. you would all be in danger."

Cado let out a frustrated sigh, "We can handle the Yiga Clan just fine. Was it really worth rejoining them just for that?"

Link locked her green eyes with Kiyah's red. "There's more. He was trying to become the new _leader_ of the Yiga Clan. So he could destroy the entire Clan from the inside." Kiyah began to wail loudly and Link leaned over as Kiyah wrapped her arms around the girl, crying into her shoulders.

"Goddess, Dorian.." Cado stepped away from them, shutting his eyes. "You _idiot_." there was a distressed but also _relieved_ look on his face. Even Impa had her hands pressed together in front of her face, shaking a little.

"W-where is he?" Kiyah choked out, her voice muffled slightly in Link's shoulder, "I-is he safe?"

"Is he even _sane_ after doing that to himself for six and a half years?" Impa murmured softly.

"He's okay. I sent him to a new settlement in Akkala. I figured it was the safest place for him to go. That town, it's on an island protected by a large lake, with the only way to enter it being a bridge connecting it to the mainland. Even if the Yiga figure out where he is, if they come, he will be able to sense them long before they arrive." Link frowned as she clasped her hands together, "I was a little afraid I was going to put the town in danger by sending him there. But I trust Dorian, he's so powerful and I know he will protect the town if anything happens."

"Link.." Kiyah was speaking out as she pulled away from her, "What _happened_ between you two?"

"He was trying to save me Kiyah. That's why he was following me all that time early on. He was trying to _stop me_ from seemingly sacrificing myself to save this land of Hyrule."

Kiyah shut her eyes and.. smiled. A true genuine smile, the first one she had expressed in seemingly months. "Dorian.."

"Excuse me?" Zelda spoke out, "Sorry, I am completely lost here, what exactly _is_ the Yiga Clan? Mystery girl mentioned them yesterday, but I'm still not sure what they are."

Cado turned to her, his eyes wide, "Oh, apologies Princess." (Zelda frowned, placing her spoon in her mouth.) "See, the Yiga Clan, they're a group of traitorous Sheikah who split up from us ten thousand years ago. They're assassins and thieves who are wholly dedicated to the Calamity."

"They even tried to kill _you_ one hundred years ago." Impa spoke quietly, "But our Hero, the Hylian Champion saved you from them."

"I see.." Zelda looked away from them, frowning, "So I assume they're the reason why I have to stay here for now, right?"

Impa nodded, "Yes. I am sorry Zelda, I know you wish to learn more about this land and hopefully you will be able too soon, but for now, it's safer for you to remain here."

Cado frowned, crossing his arms, "They're not going to give up just because the Calamity is destroyed. We'll have to deal with them sooner or later."

Link stood up, smiling widely, "You all leave the Yiga Clan to me." The others all looked at her confused and Link grinned, "I'm going to try and save them too."

Impa wheezed, eyes widening, and even Cado and Kiyah were looking at her stunned. "Link, _no_ , that's.. insane! You might have been able to save the Champions and Zelda, but you.. you can't save the Yiga Clan. They're too far gone."

"Link.." Kiyah whispered quietly, "you don't know _just_ how far they've gone." she clasped her hands together, "The things Dorian told me.. about how bad the Clan has become.."

"I know." Link shut her eyes. "I was right there, in the Clan's hideout." Link shut her eyes, signaling and then teleported, Yiga talismans appearing around her as she reappeared behind Cado and Kiyah. They turned and stared at her, Cado's jaw dropping as Link looked down at her hands, smiling sadly as she continued, "I used this Yiga magic to get into the hideout. I saw first hand just how bad it was Kiyah." Link smiled, "And I have a _plan_."

The girl looked over at Zelda, "Oh by the way Zelda, I paid for a Hylian outfit for you in the armour shop. You can go whenever you like to be measured and pick it up, if you want it. I was just thinking those clothes you're wearing now are a bit loose and baggy." she waved her hand at the stunned group of Sheikah, "Well, I better be off." Link smiled, "I'll see you all on the other side, okay?"

"Link." Kiyah clasped her hands together as Zelda got up, joining the group, "..please be careful, alright?" Link placed her soldier's helmet on her head, giving them a thumbs up as she walked out of Impa's home and headed down the stairs as they followed her out the home. She looked around at the Sheikah who were watching her quietly and the four Champions waiting at the northern exit, before approaching Storm. "Sorry boy, you can't come with me." she muttered as she pulled a swift carrot out for him, petting the horse's braided mane, "You'll be safe here alright?" the horse let out a snort and Link gave it a pet before turning around to rejoin the Champions.

"LIINK!!" Link turned around as Paya came behind her and then Link felt Paya's arms wrapping around her shoulders. Link shut her eyes and smiled. "Please.. please be safe okay? Make sure you come back to Kakariko."

Link glanced over her shoulder at the Sheikah girl who's cheeks were flushed and her eyes full of worry, "That's the plan Paya."

It was like the spell had been broken, and suddenly all the Sheikah were yelling words of encouragement at her.

"Good luck Link!! And you too Champions!!"

"You go kick that damn monster out of the castle for good!!"

"Be safe!!"

"Come back to Kakariko!!"

Link could feel it. The worry for her in all of their voices. They didn't really want her to go. They were all scared for her. She felt the Sheikah slate hum on her belt, feeling Maz and Chi's presences too. And.. Link touched her chest, where Chi's Yiga magic had entered her. It was almost like she could feel Dorian too, back there in Tarrey Town.

It was fine. She reopened her eyes, looking at the Champions waiting for her. They were prepared. They were ready. Okay. Time to go.

\---

Kass was flying as fast as he possibly could. He had left Akkala the moment the wedding was procession was over, unable to stay for the festivites afterwards. He had stayed the night in Foothill Stable, before heading out again even before dawn had broke. As he passed over the Lanayru Wetlands, he could see it now in the distance. Hyrule Castle. Faster. He had to go _faster_.

\---

Link reappeared in blue light, right in Castle Town, thanks to the Katah Chuki shrine just outside of it. Placing the Sheikah slate back on her belt, she looked up to Hyrule Field, spotting the four Divine Beasts in the large stretch of land between Hyrule Garrison Ruins and the Bottomless Swamp. Naboris, Medoh, Ruta, and Rudania in that order. She shut her eyes for a moment, feeling their presences, the Champions who were now back on their Beasts. Reopening her eyes, she looked to the castle in front of her. The swirling of malice around it seemed even more frantic now then it had before back she was at the Breach of Demise.

Taking in a deep breath, Link stepped out and into the ruins of Castle Town, her soldier's greaves clanking on the ground. She heard the whirring before she saw it, and raised her hand, not even looking at the guardian skywatcher, pushing the purify magic she had already prepared into it and continued onwards right into West Castle Town. She didn't look at the ruins of the houses. Didn't think about how one of these houses would have belonged to her family. How she might have even been born here in a different life.

She continued walking forwards, raising her hands, sending the purify magic out to to every single guardian around. Three stalkers. They staggered, their glow returning to orange and Link reached out, touching one of the stalkers with her armour clad hand as it looked down at her, it's guardian blue eye locked with her own blue glowing eyes. It was strange. A guardian stalker just like this one had killed her parents. But it wasn't really the guardians that had done it. It was the Calamity. It was _all_ the Calamity. No. The _curse_. Link climbed up onto the guardian's body and onto it's head as the guardian followed her commands, walking on it's long legs towards the Central Square. Another fourth possessed guardian stalker just behind the square aimed for her and Link sighed as she raised her hands, purifying it. ( _Come on Calamity Ganon. Are you just going to try the same tactic over and over again?_ )

The guardian she was riding finally stopped right in front of the metal doors leading to the castle and Link climbed down, patting the guardian's body gently and.. haha.. it actually seemed to let out a little _beep_ at her, before returning back to Castle Town. None of the guardians she had purified so far had been possessed again yet. She looked up at the glowing red Giant Columns surrounding the castle and wondered if she could purify those too. Turning to the closest one to her right, Link raised her arm to try and send the magic out.. and suddenly heard a ton of Yiga talismans pop in behind her.

Here we go then. Time to get in character. Link turned around and locking her arms behind her back, looked at Master Kohga in front of her. There were so many of them now. Blademasters and footsoldiers. This couldn't be _all_ the footsoldiers though. And thankfully they hadn't brought the trainees.

Link turned her blue eyes to Master Kohga. He looked exactly the same as he had back then, but he was carrying a new weapon, different from the vicious sickles. A strange circular single handed weapon with many spikes coming off it.. "Ah. Those are demon carvers are they not Master Kohga?" Link let out a deep laugh, "Going all out then are we?"

"Did you really think we were just going to let you come in and defeat out Great Lord little whelp of a Hero?" Master Kohga spoke out lowly and his hand tightened around the demon carver. "Those Divine Beasts are too far back, you can't control them from here. Your life ends right here."

"Hm. Hm." Link stepped forwards, "What makes you think I can't control them from here?"

The blademasters hands tightened on their windcleavers.

"We won't give you enough time to charge them up. You're alone."

"Oh Master Kohga.." Link looked up to him, her eyes glowing brightly blue.. _guardian_ blue. "I am _never_ alone."

Kohga screamed out, raising his hand as he threw out a blue barrier towards her. Link just sighed, raising one finger, stopping the barrier completely in its tracks. Kohga froze as he stepped back, and Link could only imagine the look of shock in his eyes behind his mask.

"H-how.. how are you doing that?!" Kohga stammered.

The blademasters and footsoldiers were all looking at her and Link could feel how stunned they all were. She shrugged nonchalantly as she stepped forwards, making the barrier disappear completely. Kohga stepped backwards. Calamity, he was practically trembling. Link was trying not to grin. It was kinda cool, being able to play a role like this even if it was going completely against her nature. (Dorian would be so proud).

"Come on now Master Kohga." she spoke lowly, "I really thought better of you. Your second in command figured it out long before this after all."

"My second--" Kohga's hands tightened around his demon carver. "You mean Dorian?"

"Surely you mean _Master_ Dorian, do you not?" Link spoke out, reaching her arms out. "Come on now. I even gave you all the answers back there in the desert, and you _still_ haven't figured it out?"

Kohga swallowed. He was trembling all over now, one hand pressed to his mask. "You.. you called yourself my ancestor."

Link pulled her helmet off, showing him her half.. no, almost three quarters now white hair, and the change was immediate. Kohga immediately fell to his knees, bowing right in front of her "I-I'm so sorry! I should have realised!"

The blademasters and footsoldiers were staring at each, and Link could feel how dumbfounded they all were. "Master Kohga, what's going on?" one of the blademaster called out. "Are we killing the Hero or not?"

"She's not the Hero!" Kohga turned to them and they could feel the absolute glee radiating off him, "She.. or rather.. he's our lord, our ancestor itself, the Great Calamity! He's possessing her body!"

"There we go." Link chuckled, "I was wondering when it would finally click for you. How disappointing though, Master Dorian already dedicated himself to me fully back there in Kurasa Valley. I was keeping him back, ready to enter the fray when I needed him most there for Divine Beast Vah Naboris."

"HOW?!" the blademasters and footsoldiers were frantically rushing up to her, looking at her tiny Hylian body. "How are you possessing that Hylian? Isn't she supposed to be the _Hero_? What about the Divine Beasts? We thought they were freed."

Link chuckled deeply while trying not to wince. The Yiga were talking loudly, their voices overlapping each other.. Kohga was trying to push past them and they seperated, letting him walk up to her.

Link reached out her hand and Kohga took it, shaking terribly as he bent to one knee, bowing before her again. "I can't believe it.. it's finally come, the day we've been waiting for all these years.."

"Where's the proof?" one of the blademasters called out, and the rest were glaring at him. "Ah, s-sorry.. its just.. you haven't _explained_ anything, G-Great Ancestor.."

"I understand." Link crooned gently and opened her mouth as _malice_ gurgled from her mouth. She had tapped the Sheikah slate while her hands were locked behind her back, connecting to the main furnace inside Hyrule Castle, the only one still possessed.

"Oh. Oh _wow_." one of the footsoldiers muttered. "That's plenty proof for me." The blademasters and footsoldiers started talking excitedly again, while Kohga was still on his knee, clasping her hand. Link quickly disconnected the connection so she could speak properly again.

"Yes, you probably want an explanation don't you?" Link cocked her head, "About how I was able to do this. You see, it's because this Hero.." she tapped her chest, "Isn't actually the Hero at all. She's actually the last descendant of the Zonai people, the Yiga Clan's allies from ten thousand years ago who were all but destroyed. All but one line that is that has managed to survive this long."

" _THE ZONAI_?!"

Kohga looked up at her and Link could feel the reverance coming from him. She tried not shiver. "Oh Great Ancestor.. you really are _amazing_."

"You see, all this time, I've managed to trick them all. The worthless unpure Hyruleans out there, believing their Hero had finally come for them." Link let go of Kohga's hand as she stepped backwards towards the castle, raising her arms outwards up to them like Kohga had done that night at the party, "All this time they believed I was here to save them, but it was the farthest thing from the truth! I went to each Divine Beast, making the four tribes believe I was freeing them, but you see.. there was actually something _blocking_ me from establishing a true connection with each Divine Beast. I could not control them fully because of that."

Link pointed to the four Divine Beasts back there in Hyrule Field, "But now, they are under my control completely." Link laughed deeply, "Their 'Champions' too. They are waiting for my call even now."

"W-wait.." one of the footsoldiers stammered, "so why did you go against us in the desert then?"

Link sighed, "I could not blow my cover. Even with all four Divine Beasts free, there was still more I had to do." Link placed her hand on her chest, "You see, there was still a possibility that this vessel I've taken over could fight me back even now, and so I had to reconnect myself with her." Link smiled widely, crooning gently, "It was very easy to do though. After all, this vessel _was_ born on the crimson moon, just like I was all those years ago."

"The blood moon.." Kohga whispered, feverently, "Just like Dorian. _That's_ why you went to him first." Link froze, despite herself even as she forced herself to remain in character. ( _Of course Dorian was born on the blood moon too.._ )

She raised her voice, "I hope I've answered enough of your questions now."

"YES!" Kohga leapt back up, "What do you wish for us, your loyal descendents, to do, oh Great Ancestor?"

Link looked back at them. ( _"I cannot believe this plan actually worked Maz. You really were a genius of our time. An absolute idiot. But a genius at the same time."_ | that was Chi's voice, deadpan, through the slate.) "What I want is for you to send all your Clan members back home Master Kohga."

Kohga stared back at them, then back to Link, "But.. I thought we were going to _help_ you? Are we not going to ride with you into battle to burn Hyrule to the ground?"

"Don't you worry, that will still happen. I will call for you when I am ready. But I need to go alone for now." Time to dig in the final hook, "Hm.. actually. I could use _your_ help Master Kohga."

"Mine?!" Kohga rushed to her immediately, "O-of course! I will help you in any way I can! But why not the rest of the Clan?"

Link looked back over her shoulder, "You all won't fit. Where I need to go is a place called the sanctum, right at the top of Hyrule Castle."

Calamity, some of the blademasters were sniffling and more then a few of the footsoldiers were actually full on _wailing_. Link actually kinda felt really bad for lying to them.

"We understand Great Ancestor!"

The rest of the Clan teleported away, leaving Link and Kohga alone in front of the castle doors. Link nodded to him, "Are you ready Master Kohga?"

"Of course Great Ancestor."

"Then use magnesis with me to open the doors to the Castle."

Both Link and Kohga raised their hands, pulling open one door each, opening the way inside Hyrule Castle.

\---

Dorian's fingers were practically trembling as he tried to cut the top of the envelope with his eightfold blade. Thanfully Granté was out right now, manning his unofficial store in the town once more on the balcony of the house opposite of the inn. Dorian placed the envelope and the blade back down to the bed. Calamity, he had to stop his hands from from trembling so bad or he was going to end up cutting himself instead of the envelope. Shutting his grey eyes, Dorian placed his hands down on the bed next to him, taking in a few deep breaths to steady his nerves, Dorian reached for the letter and the eightfold blade again.

But then..

"Wh-what's happening to the sky?!" that was Kapson's voice.

Dorian frowned, putting down the letter back in his pack again, but taking the eightfold blade as he headed down the stairs. "Kapson, what's wrong?"

The Zora turned to him, panic in his yellow eyes. The door was open to the inn and.. Dorian stared in shock. The clouds.. the clouds were changing colour.. very slightly.. but to lighter shades of red.. almost like..

His shaking hand tightened around the eightfold blade. It was only just before noon, but Link was in the Castle, wasn't she?

\---

Link and Kohga walked forwards into the Castle. There was a few of those decayed guardians near them, as well as a skywatcher above and Link quickly purified them. However, unlike the guardians outside the castle, they started shuddering almost immediately as they flickered between orange and red frantically.

"Master Kohga." Link called to him, "We have to move quickly."

"Say no more!"

Link almost yelped as he suddenly picked up her tiny body and she was surprised at the strength the chubby man held as he quickly placed her onto his shoulders, before running forwards. The front entrance leading to the great hall was blocked by rubble, so they headed west as Link pulled out the Sheikah slate, tapping on the map. A map of Hyrule Castle appeared and Link zoomed in.

Kohga yelled as he was forced to stop and Link looked up. Ah. A wall of malice. She could probably deal with this no problem but they didn't really have the time.. "Into the interior of the Castle!"

"Got it!" Kohga leapt into the nearby entrance just in time, before a guardian laser hit them.

Link was placed down, her soldier greaves hitting the small puddle of water and Kohga let out a huff, "Why are they attacking you anyway? Don't they know you're their master?"

"It can't be helped. They don't recognise me in this form, just like you couldn't. That's why I have to free my main body in the sanctum."

Kohga nodded as he crossed his arms, "Right, makes sense." Link raised her hand, not even needing to use the Sheikah slate anymore to use the rune magic, making a block of cryonis appear to raise the gate here.

Kohga looked impressed, "Cryonis! I tried to learn that when I was younger too, but it was too hard."

"Master Kohga, focus please." Link glanced at him as they headed under the gate, Kohga having to bend down to get under it. "Unfortunately you do realise we'll have to kill any monsters in here too. They won't recognise me either. And this vessel is unfortunately flesh. It would take me years to find another one if she were to die. If there even _is_ another one out there."

"Ahhhh." Kohga let out a pained sigh, "I don't like it, but if that's what we have to do, then so be it. They'll understand once your body is freed and they're revived thanks to the blood moon." he had an almost gleeful expression as they turned the corner, "Maybe we'll get a blood moon every night now!"

Link nodded (and winced a little at the idea of there being a blood moon every night) as the two walked forward. Link heard the lizalfos hiss and grabbed the slate, pulling out the savage lynel sword.

"I got it!" Kohga rushed forward and summoned a strange ball that was different from the usual metal balls he usually summoned. It had an inverted eye and many talismans on it and he launched it right at the lizalfos. The lizalfos screeched as the ball was slammed into its body and Link rushed forwards, slashing the savage lynel sword right into its head.

"Sorry lizalfos." Link muttered, putting on a show for Kohga as the lizalfos' malice escaped its form, leaving the body, "Do not worry, you shall be revived soon. I will make sure of it."

Kohga put his hands together, "You care so much for your own monsters Great Ancestor."

"Of course. You feel the same way for your own clan do you not?"

"That's right!" Kohga beamed, "I've made the clan like my own little family."

The two started heading down the stairs. Link knew this place.. this was the guards chambers. Where Mipha and her great grandfather had been. Link grimaced as the two peered into the room. There was two lizalfos in the upper chamber and a moblin in the lower one.

Kohga let out a quiet whistle, "That's a lot of monsters huh."

Link noted something though. A savage lynel shield, laying in the second chamber. That might come in handy, she still had her sword and bow, but her original shield had been broken. "Master Kohga stay here, I'm going to use stasis on the monsters so I can grab that shield, then we'll head the other way."

"Will do."

Link raised her hand, snapping her fingers, using stasis on all three monsters at once, completely freezing them and leapt into action, running down the stairs as quickly as she could and grabbing the shield, before heading back up to Kohga just in time before the stasis deactivated. They heard the shrieking of the confused monsters, but they were already gone back up to where the first lizalfos had been. Kohga was panting. "I'm too old for this.. I need a nap."

Link placed the new savage lynel shield on her back, as well as pulling the bow out of the slate as well. With the sword still equipped, she had the entire set again.

Kohga gave her a thumbs up, "Look at that, you look like a proper lynel now with the full set." Link tried not to grimace as she thought of her uncle. Kohga continued, "Now you would look perfect if you had traditional Zonai Barbarian armour instead of that nasty Hyrulean soldier's gear."

"I needed whatever I could to protect this vessel, and as far as I am aware the Zonai armour has been lost to time."

"According to my mother's books there's a full set in the three Lomei mazes." Kohga scoffed, "Don't know why our ancient ancestors would want to give our allies armour to the wretched Hero anyway. It doesn't belong to _him_."

Link blinked. Huh.. she wondered if it was the same set that belonged to that ancient Hero from ten thousand years ago. Link looked up at Kohga. His mother..

"Master Kohga.. please, will you tell me more about your mother?" Kohga flinched and balked at the request as he leaned over a little, poking his fingers together.

"..Why do you want to know?"

"Because I wish to know more about _you_ my most devout loyal follower, the current Master Kohga of my most loyal Clan."

Kohga sighed, "..There's not really much to say. I didn't really know her. You know about our Clan's rules, right? We don't raise our trainees.."

Link blinked. But Jaq, Iga and the previous Kohga.. "I was under the impression your Clan made an exception when it comes to the Kohga dynasty, my descendents."

Kohga laughed, "Don't know anything about that. I can only tell you how it was with me, and I was raised with the other trainees."

"I see.." Link shut her eyes, "That must have been hard. Knowing you were destined to become the next Master Kohga and being raised with the other trainees."

Kohga shrugged, "I dealt with it. Besides I know she was only doing it to bring us closer together."

.. _What_. "Master Kohga, what do you mean by that?"

Kohga sighed, "All the suffering she put me through, I didn't understand why for such a long time. Until after she died and I had to read all those old books to teach myself rune magic." Kohga looked up at Link and she could feel the almost desperate pull to herself. This man.. was severly damaged as a person, she could feel it. "That's where I learned all the things about our ancestor.. about you. And all the suffering we had been through ten thousand years ago." Kohga wrapped his arms around his own shoulders, "That suffering we all went through, it brought the Clan together in the first place. If it weren't for that, we never would have existed at all. It is only through our suffering that the the Clan can come together after all." There was something deeper in his voice. Despite everything he was saying, there was some very deep subconscious part of Kohga that felt _guilty_.

The two stopped in front of another wall of malice, but this time Link noticed the yellow eye coming out of it and she pulled out a single arrow, loading it into the savage lynel bow and firing it, destroying the eye which got rid of the malice wall blocking their path. Link turned back to Kohga, her eyes focused on him as she placed the savage lynel bow back on her back.

"Master Kohga, take off your mask."

"Wh-what?!" he backed away from her and his hand moved up to the mask, "I.. is that _neccessary_ Great Ancestor? What will taking my mask off accomplish here?"

Link's eyes narrowed, "That's a direct order Master Kohga."

"I.." Kohga sighed, "Yes my Lord." he removed the mask and Link studied the scars on his elderly face once more. She barely much time to see them before.

Calamity, she could even swear she could see tears filling up in his grey eyes.

"How did you get those scars?"

Kohga seemed to curl into himself, "Champion Urbosa and her lightning powers, Great Ancestor."

"Your clan has a medic program with very powerful Sheikah healing magic. You should have been able to heal it so you barely had any scars left."

"My mother said I had to keep them for my failure to capture the Thunder Helm."

Link stepped forward before she could control herself, pressing her hands gently to Kohga's face, as not to aggravate the scars.

"That's _disgusting_. You do realise that right?"

"N-no! It's fine, I've accepted it and my failure long ago. B-besides, we need to suffer--"

"No you _don't_."

( _"Link you need to be careful with what you say. You can't let him realise you're playing him."_ | _"I know what I'm doing Maz."_ )

Kohga was staring at her stunned, "B-but, the books--"

Link sighed, "Yes, the Sheikah suffered terribly. As did the Zonai. But that doesn't mean _you_ have to suffer." Link looked at him sadly, "The Yiga Clan.. you're my precious descendents. Why would I ever want my most precious family to suffer like that? That's not what a family means Master Kohga. Family.. means kindness and compassion, taking _care_ of each other, functioning together healthily and most of all.. _love_."

Kohga's legs were shaking as if his entire world view was being shattered. "L.. love?"

Link sighed, "Do you have any children Master Kohga?"

Kohga completely froze, his grey eyes desperately looking at Link. "I.. I.."

"No, it doesn't matter. You don't have to answer. Come on, we need to keep going." Link headed up west to a circular room with another malice wall, and she fired into the eye once more destroying it before heading up the stairs.

Kohga swallowed as he followed his Great Ancestor up the stairs as against his will a memory came to him..

( _Kohga was around in his seventies then, pacing around just outside the infirmary, frantically. There was no-one else in the infirmary right now, except for Dot and Eldah, and he couldn't hear a thing from there. He had banished everyone from the halls that night, footsoldiers and blademasters alike. It was important that this had to be kept a secret after all._

_He paced around faster and faster. This had been a mistake. Dot was right, what were they even thinking doing this at their age, even if they were Sheikah.. then he finally heard it just as the little malice particles started to fill up in the hall. The baby's cry. His head shot up and before he knew it he was rushing into the infirmary._

_"Congratulations Master Kohga." Dot, who was in late thirties, called out to him, as he moved to a small bucket of warm water, "You have a son."_

_"Calamity." The elderly blademaster groaned tiredly, as Kohga approached her in the bed. There was a lot of blood on the bed.. probably more then what was average, and of course, she was still wearing her mask. She hadn't even taken it off during the birth. Then again, he hadn't even seen her face at all since that day when they had both tried to steal the Thunder Helm.._

_"How.. are you feeling blademaster?"_

_"..Fine." Eldah muttered. "Just tired. All I need is sleep and I'll be ready for my mission tomorrow."_

_"Blademaster **no**." Dot hissed, "You're seventy years old and you just gave birth, you're going to rest for the next couple of days and that's final."_

_"Medic, no offence, but you are not the Master." Eldah turned to him, and her voice was as serious as ever, "Master? Is that an official order from you?"_

_His voice stuck in his throat. Even if he said yes, she wouldn't listen. She never did. The entire reason they had this child in the first place was because of her. She had refused to let the Kohga dynasty die out, she had been constantly telling him over and over again over the years, until he had finally.. finally.. relented._

_"I'll take that as a no then." Eldah moved to stand.. and staggered, collapsing back to the bed. "Nnnngggh.." Eldah groaned out._

_"Please, at least just sleep here." Kohga finally spoke out, his voice numb._

_"..Fine." Eldah turned on her side away from Kohga, mask still on even as she prepared to go to sleep. "Go hold your trainee."_

_"He's your trainee too."_

_"No, he's not. You will name him. You will raise him. I was just the carrier."_

_"..I'm not going to raise him."_

_"Master." Eldah turned to him, "We've talked about this. You don't have to follow in your mother's footsteps, even if that is the rule. He's your legacy. You need to train him yourself."_

_"No. That's my order and it's final. I will not change my mind on this." He couldn't. He just.. couldn't be a parent. He was horribly unequipped to deal with such a thing. Kohga didn't even know if he could be a parent. He never became a blademaster after all. He was forced more or less into becoming the Master when he was barely eighteen years old, when his mother (or as he had believed back then his father) had just vanished after they had seemingly won._

_Eldah groaned, "So what, you're just going to name him 'Kohga' and have him be exactly like you were when you a trainee?"_

_"I'm not calling him Kohga either."_

_Eldah sighed, "Somehow I'm not surprised you would say that"_

_"Master.." that was Dot's voice, as he finished cleaning the trainee and walked over to Kohga, carrying the infant, and Kohga balked at his first sight of him. The trainee was so tiny.. "please reconsider. She is right, he's your legacy. The Kohga dynasty that has existed for ten thousand years."_

_Before Kohga knew it, Dot was carefully placing the infant into his much bigger arms and Kohga was panicking. "Wait, I don't know how to hold a trainee.."_

_"Just support his head and cradle your arms." Dot smiled, "They you go Master. You're a natural."_

_Kohga looked down at the trainee, who opened his eyes. Oh. Grey eyes. Just like his own. He hadn't inherited his mother's red eyes at all. Kohga swallowed nervously. The feelings that were bubbling inside him.. they were almost like how he felt about the entire clan. But stronger. Much stronger. Almost painful. He shouldn't be holding this trainee._

_"So if you're not going to call him Kohga what are you going to call him? Not like it matters since we discard our names anyway." Eldah muttered tiredly. She was dropping off to sleep quickly. "Master, I would do anything for you, you know that, but if you name him after the mighty banana I might actually kill you."_

_"I have a suggestion if you would like to hear it." Dot spoke quietly, adjusting his glasses. "It's from my home region of Faron. I think it's appropiate."_

_Kohga couldn't take his eyes off the trainee. His trainee. "..What is it?"_ )

Kohga was pulled out of the memory as they came to a stop in front of a strange little building. His Ancestor was looking at the Sheikah slate. "..Second gatehouse." the vessel murmured.

"Hey." Kohga muttered quietly, numbly.

"Yes Master Kohga?"

"You haven't really told me anything about you."

"What would you like to know?"

"..What were you like? Before you became the Great Calamity."

The vessel hummed, "..Kind. Lonely. And maybe just a little bit angry." she looked up at the gatehouse.

Kohga looked down at his own hands. "..What was your name?"

"I can't give you that."

Kohga sighed as he fumbled with his mask, "I know. We Yiga discard our names too. Although no-one would ever do it with me.." That's why he kept pretending that he didn't know..

"I have a name for this vessel though." she continued, turning to face him with those blue glowing eyes. "Would you like to hear it?"

"..Sure."

The vessel smiled, "Pan. It's short for Pandora."

Pandora.. Kohga had seen that word before in his books. It was a Zonai word, not a proper translation but.. "A gift in the form of a curse." he laughed despite himself, "Fitting."

The two stepped into the gatehouse, and the gates snapped shut behind and in front of them. The next thing they knew a lynel had appeared. Kohga's heart leapt into his throat as he unconsciously hid behind his Ancestor's tiny body. "H-hey.. aren't lynels supposed to be smart? Maybe this one will know who you are?"

"No. It won't. But it's fine, I can deal with this." The vessel.. _Pan_ raised the savage lynel bow which had a single glowing blue arrow in it. Kohga staggered. Those arrows..! She fired it off, the blue arrow hitting the lynel, making it completely disintegrate into a blue glow. Kohga looked at her stunned as the gates opened.

"Come on Master Kohga. We're almost there. Just a little further to go."

"..Hey." Kohga frowned as he followed her. Something wasn't adding up here, "Why did you need me to come anyway? I've barely done anything this entire time."

"You'll see when we reach the sanctum. I want you to see something. It's very important."

\---

Kass could see them, the four Divine Beasts right in front of him!

"Master Revali!" he called out and on top of Medoh, the Rito Champion turning to face him.

"..You're Kass right?"

The Rito bard nodded, coming to land on Medoh. "Sorry, we haven't met before now. I've been so busy taking messages to everyone to keep everyone up to speed with what was happening."

The Rito Champion sighed and then Kass noticed something. The Zora Champion was standing next to him. And Mipha was holding one of Revali's wings as they stood together, overlooking the Castle.

"Hello Kass." the Zora spoke out softly, "I've heard so much about you. It's nice to finally meet you."

Kass nodded, noting the small blush on Revali's face either side of his beak. Oh. _Oh_. Kass turned to the castle, covering his beak with his own wing.

"Is it okay if I stay here?"

"OF COURSE!" Daruk roared out his Divine Beast, waving over at Kass. "You've known Link longer then any of us, haven't you Kass?"

Urbosa looked over from her own Divine Beast, nodding at the Rito bard, with her arms crossed. "You've been working non stop haven't you Kass? We would be honoured if you were here with us at the end."

"Speaking of which.." Revali looked up at the clouds. They were getting stronger.. darker. "I think it's almost time." he looked at his fellow Champions and swallowed painfully. "You all ready?"

Daruk took in a deep breath, "No, not really."

Urbosa shut her eyes regretfully. "..I can't believe I'm actually going to say this but.." she sighed, "I genuinely wish we weren't here right now." the Gerudo laughed a little bitterly, "How ironic. I wanted to destroy the Calamity for so long and now I'm here having second thoughts."

Kass looked at them all confused. What had happened here?

Revali turned to Mipha, and the Zora Princess smiled sadly as they parted, "Even though I'll be on my Divine Beast Revali, I'll be here with you all the way, okay?" she reached up, touching the side of his face and the Rito shut his eyes for a moment before reopening them and nodding. "..Right."

The Zora nodded, parting from him completely and leaping back towards her own Divine Beast, where she stood on the head.

They were ready.

\---

On the Great Plateau, Rhoam in his spirit form and the golden lynel.. _Link_ were standing together at the front of the Temple of Time, overlooking the Castle in the distance.

"Link.." Rhoam spoke out quietly, and the lynel glanced over at him, "I was so desperate to stop the Calamity that I forced both you and Zelda into such roles when you were both so young. I'm.. sorry."

"Rrh?" the lynel turned to him fully and Rhoam glanced back over at him. The lynel had a confused look on it's face and Rhoam sighed. Even now, Link seemingly didn't mind. He had done his job no matter what, played his role in this story. And now.. it was time to go.

It was time for both of them to go.

\---

Together, Pan and Kohga teleported down under the sanctum and Kohga rubbed his head as he moved to stand up, looking back up at the sanctum above them. What a drop. If it weren't for their teleportation powers, both of them would have died from that.

Kohga looked around the room they had landed in. What was this? It was a large circular glowing red ( _malice_ red) room with many star constellations dotted around it. He had no idea this room existed under the sanctum. It had never been mentioned in any of his books.

"Hey, Pan, what is this--" he turned to the vessel and his voice died in his throat. There was a person in front of them, completely covered in malice.

Swallowing heavily, Pan took the Sheikah slate from her belt raising it up to him and she whispered quietly. "Purify." a blue light appeared from the Sheikah slate and Kohga winced, covering his eyes with one hand, his mask still tightly clasped in his other hand. He needed to put his mask back on. He went to move it back to his face, squinting as he moved his hand.. and then the mask dropped from his hands to the floor of the strange room.

That wasn't just a person inside the malice. It was someone he recognised. A Hylian boy wearing Champion blue with blonde hair.. he still remembered vividly that that day from one hundred years ago. Him, Eldah and another footsoldier who's name he didn't remember had been assigned to attack the Princess that day. Even though his scars still horrifically burned from his and Eldah's failed attempt to steal the Thunder Helm, his mother had still assigned him to the mission. The Hylian Champion had killed the other footsoldier to protect the Princess. They hadn't even had a chance to teleport away. Him and Eldah had barely escaped with their lives. It could have been either of them.

But now as Kohga stared at the boy inside the malice, his heart burned with a feeling he didn't understand. Pity? Sadness? Despair? He didn't understand. The Hylian Champion, the Hero was their enemy. Why was he feeling like this?

He looked to the boy's chest. That was a Sheikah slate, like Pan's but it was like it was completely melded into his chest.. where his heart would be.

"P-Pan." he called out to the vessel, stammering, "What is this?"

The girl turned to face him and he startled. Her eyes weren't blue anymore. They were green. "My great uncle, the Hylian Champion Link."

What. _What_.

"Y-you mean your vessel's uncle?" That didn't make sense though. Why would the last descendant of the Zonai be related to the Hero?

"No. Mine. Pan, the girl from Lurelin Village who was chosen to be the Hero." Pan sighed, "I'm sorry Master Kohga, but I've been lying to you all this time. I'm not actually your Ancestor. My name used to be Link." she touched her hand to her chest, "But I've chosen a new name now. My name is Pan."

Kohga collapsed to his knees, his mind recoiling in shock. "No. That's impossible. You can't be the Hero. You know stuff that you can't possibly know. Your hair is turning Sheikah white. You can use Yiga magic you--"

"I'm not the Legendary Hero either." Pan smiled at him, "I'm just a kid who happens to be related to the Hero. And the Zonai." she chuckled a little, touching her white hair, "As for the hair, you can thank the Sheikah slate for that. When I started this journey I could barely control the connection to the Divine Beasts. I kept passing out all the time from exhaustion, so the slate started to rewrite my body so I could handle it better." Pan smiled sadly, "I'm basically turning into a Sheikah, that's what I was told by the person who created the Divine Beasts."

Kohga turned his grey eyes to her. She wasn't lying. He could feel it. This persona.. this was the _real_ her. The one who had asked him all about his past and told him the way his mother had treated him was wrong. He wanted to be angry. He wanted to feel something. But all he could feel was how numb he was.

"What do you want from me?" he croaked out.

"Dorian told me about you." Kohga froze at that.. Dorian.. then he really had.. "He said how you wanted to kill the Hero. That you believed it was what you were born to do." Pan threw the Sheikah slate to him, and Kohga stared at it with a pitiful look in his eyes, before looking back at her. "So I'm going to make your dream come true." she tilted her head at the boy behind her, "If you tap the Sheikah slate to his chest, he will die. And you'll be the one who has done it." she smiled sadly at him, "That is, if you still want to do it."

"What.. _what_." Kohga looked at the boy.. the Hylian Champion Link. The Yiga Clan's enemy. He was so confused, he didn't know _what_ to think. But before he realised what he was doing, Kohga had taken the Sheikah slate which suddenly activated in his hands, the blue Sheikah eye appearing on the screen.

"Why is it activated?"

"Because your ancestor, the person who made the Yiga Clan, made it."

"..The Great Calamity?"

"No. Her name was Chi Koshia."

She wasn't lying. He could tell. Kohga tightened his hand around the slate. What was he doing here? He had been lied to all this time, his entire Clan had been lied to. She had stolen Dorian from him.. Why wasn't he attacking her?

"Then.. we're not actually descended from the Great Calamity?" he muttered numbly.

Pan shut her eyes, a look of pain crossing her face. "Not directly. But you are related to the person who became the Great Calamity." she turned back to the Hylian Champion, "I guess you could call him a cousin ten thousand years removed."

Cousin.. "Like Robbie." Kohga muttered. His hands tightened around the Sheikah slate even more.

"Oh, so you do know what a family is kind of." Pan chuckled sadly, "You really love your Clan don't you Master Kohga? You even wouldn't allow the blademasters to hurt Robbie. Because he's your cousin. And perhaps, in another life, he could have even been right there beside you in the Clan."

Kohga scoffed, "I never even met the guy.." She was right though. Of course she was right. He was actually getting kinda annoyed now at how much he had been played. Kohga felt himself move to stand and started walking over to the Hylian Champion, raising the Sheikah slate. But just when he was about to press it to the boy's chest, Link's eyes opened. Kohga yelled out, startling backwards in shock, his grey eyes wide, the Sheikah slate falling from his hands back to the floor.

He looked back to the boy. His eyes were blue.. not guardian blue, not Sheikah energy blue. Just the normal colour of his eyes. But there was nothing there. Not like that look he had seen back that day in Kara Kara Bazaar, that desire to protect the Princess.. it was like he was already _dead_.

Before he knew it, Kohga turned back to Pan, his grey eyes wide as tears leaked from his eyes. "I can't do this." He really was a failure. The one thing he had been born to do, and he couldn't even do _that_. His mother had been right all along about him. He suddenly realised something as the tears aggravated his scars, causing them to hurt. The entire time he had been in the Castle, his scars hadn't itched once. It had become something of a compulsive habit over the years, scratching them when he was stressed or angry or upset..

Pan moved to him. and then she was wrapping her tiny arms around his much larger shoulders. "What are you doing..?" Kohga muttered numbly.

"Thanking you." Pan said quietly, "Everyone told me I was crazy to think that the Yiga Clan could change. But today, you have proven to me that _anyone_ can change if they really want too. I think Dorian will appreciate that too."

Dorian.. Kohga's fingers trembled at his sides.

"Now he can go home too. To his family."

Kohga was sobbing before he could stop himself.

Pan moved to take the Sheikah slate and Kohga turned to him, "W-wait.. what will happen?"

Pan smiled sadly, "He will die. And then the Great Calamity will be released from his body."

Despite how numb he felt, Kohga smiled. "So.. we win?"

"I hope not. The Great Calamity will not spare you or the Clan Master Kohga. It will destroy everything in it's path. Including the Clan you so dearly love."

"But.. we're its descendents.."

"It doesn't care. It doesn't know you." Pan spoke softly, "There was a person here once.. but that person is long gone." Still, she had to hope, to believe.. that maybe she could change that.

Pan raised the Sheikah slate to Link's chest, taking in a deep breath.. and pressed it to him. She felt the energy reach out, connecting to the energy of his own body, and her eyes flashed blue.

' **DISCONNECTING**.'

Time seemed to slow down as she watched the Sheikah slate connected to his own chest flicker as it was permanantly severed from his body. She could feel every heartbeat as it got slower and slower.

"Ghhh!" Link winced as his eyes shut, and then reopened. He was looking at her, right at her own blue glowing eyes. Pan could feel the tears filling her eyes. "S-sorry.." he croaked out hoarsely, in Hylian from his own voice, and it was the most painful thing she had ever heard.

Behind them Kohga was trembling, his hands over his mouth, his mask completely forgotten as he watched them.

"It's fine." Pan spoke out shakily. "You have nothing to apologise for uncle."

"T-thank you.. for.. s-saving them.. Pan.."

Pan smiled, tears falling down her cheeks, "Technically you saved them first. You kept them alive after all."

Link just let out a little tired laugh.

Thump.

...

Thump.

He took in one final breath, from his own body.

' **DISCONNECTED**.'

( _In Kakariko Village, in her new Hylian clothing, trousers, a tunic and a hood, Zelda suddenly let out a shudder, slumping forwards against the wooden fencing of the little graveyard, where she had been overlooking the castle in the distance. Zelda's knees buckled and her hand moved to her chest. She had no idea why, but there was a single tear falling from her left eye._ )

The Hero of the Wilds.. the Hylian Champion.. _Link_ was gone.


	32. Hyrule Castle Part III - The Spirit of the Hero, The Blood of the Goddess and the Reincarnation of Hatred

As they felt Link die in the castle, on top of Vah Ruta, Mipha collapsed to her knees, an agonising scream erupting from her throat. She thought she had been ready for it.. "Mipha!" Revali turned to fly for her, panic in his green eyes, but just as quickly as she collapsed, the Zora raised a trembling hand to him, making the Rito stop in his tracks. She looked up at him, and although there were tears running down her cheeks, her yellow eyes were firm. The message was clear: we need to be ready to fire. The Calamity could break free at any moment now.

The others weren't faring any better. Urbosa was trembling, her hands over her mouth as she looked away from the castle. Daruk had balled his fist up, punching over and over again on Rudania's spine.

Kass, still on Medoh, looked around at the group, unsure what was happening. "Ah.. Master Revali?"

Revali turned to face him, and Kass was stunned at the tears filling the Rito's green eyes. "..Right. You weren't there at Kakariko so you wouldn't know." he turned to Hyrule Castle as the swirling red purple malice seemed to intensify even more. "The Hylian Champion.." Revali seemed to struggle with his words, "..Our friend, Link. He just passed away."

Ah. Kass shut his eyes, his wing tightening around his scarf as he thought of his friend's daughter. She must be suffering in the castle right now. And somehow.. even though he had never met the Hylian Champion, Kass' heart hurt for him too. He liked to think, that maybe in another life, they could have been friends too.

\---

"Zelda?" The girl was heading back to Impa's house, her legs trembling and her Hylian hood covered over her eyes. The elder Impa walked over to her, reaching out for her hands, and Zelda looked up. Impa was startled, seeing the tears in her eyes. "Zelda.. dear..?"

"Impa.." Zelda spoke quietly, her voice waivering, "..Did I have feelings for the Hylian Champion? Back then, before the Calamity?"

Impa looked at her and there was pain in her eyes. "Dear.. what good would that do now?"

"I need to know. Because I think.." her voice quivered, "I think I just felt him _die_." her shoulders were shaking, "And I don't understand _why_."

"Oh.." Impa's hands flew to her mouth. They knew it was coming, but hearing it from her mouth.. next to them, Paya shook terribly, her arms wrapping around her shoulders as she fled back to Impa's home, tears in her eyes.

"Please. _Please_ tell me Impa." Zelda croaked out, and her head lowered again, the hood over her eyes once more.

Impa sighed regretfully, turning away from her, "..You and Link.. you had a terse relationship in the beginning, but after he was appointed your personal Knight, and the more time you spent together.." she sighed, looking up, at the clouds.. they were getting darker and darker. "..You started developing feelings for him." Impa turned back to Zelda, noting how all the Sheikah were looking at the clouds, and how they were starting to return to their homes. They knew it was coming, all of them. "Zelda. It's not safe out here. The final battle is about to start, we should head inside."

Zelda's hands balled into fists at her sides. "No."

Impa looked at her in shock, "Zelda!"

Zelda looked up once more, her blue greenish eyes firm. "I don't know what happened back then, but that girl is fighting for _us_. For all of Hyrule. The Champions too." she suddenly broke into a run, heading for Storm who was still tied to the front of the inn.

"Zelda!!" Impa called out to her, a panicked tone to her voice. Cado was rushing for them too, a panicked look on his face too.

Zelda mounted Storm once more, just like she had back at Riverside Stable when mystery girl had brought him out so they could get to Kakariko faster. She had never ridden a horse before that time, at least she didn't remember riding a horse. But this horse.. it's white coat, and the special reins it had.. this was a good horse. Very fast. She hoped mystery girl wouldn't be upset at Zelda riding this horse into battle.

"I'm sorry, I know you wanted me to stay here for my safety. But I know how to fight, I can't just let them do this alone." her eyes were firm, determined, "I'm going to the battlefield. There must be _something_ I can do!"

"Princess!!" Cado rushed in front of the horse, putting his arms out in front of her. "Please, reconsider! You're all that's left of the Royal Family, if anything happens to you--"

" _What_ Royal Family?!" Zelda cried out, "You told me the rest of my family died one hundred years ago and I don't even remember anything about being a Princess in the first place!" Zelda looked at Impa and Cado, her eyes firm, "I may have been a Princess in a different life, but I'm not that person anymore. I'm just.." her hands tightened on the reins, "Zelda. Not Princess Zelda. _Just_ Zelda." she tapped her heels to Storm's side, making the horse step forwards, but the guard wouldn't budge.

"Cado." Impa spoke quietly, "..Let her go."

"Elder Impa!" Cado turned to her, his eyes wide.

"That's a direct order from me Cado."

The guard shut his eyes for a moment, his entire body trembling.. and then relunctantly he moved out the way.

"Zelda." Impa spoke out and the girl looked to her, "Just.. please. Be _careful_ okay? Come back safely."

Zelda nodded, and tapped her heels again to Storm's side, making the horse gallop off, leaving the northern entrance of Kakariko Village to head to Hyrule Castle in the distance. Impa watched her leave, and then tugged on Cado's Sheikah jacket, and the guard turned to face her, a miserable look in his eyes. "Come on. We need to get inside my home, it won't be safe out here."

\---

It had been about fifteen minutes since Link's death and Pan and Kohga had moved his body to the very edge of the strange circular room. Pan had her head buried into his shoulder as she cried painfully and Kohga was sitting next to the both of them, his mask completely forgotten still in the center of the circular room. The leader of the Yiga Clan looked down at his once enemy. His eyes were half shut, jaw slack, and his body was becoming paler by the moment as pallor mortis was setting in. Kohga took in a breath as he reached out, placing his open palm on the boy's face, lowering his eyelids completely. He felt it was the least he could do for him. Pan looked up at Kohga, tears spilling down her face. The girl looked completely devestated. "T-thanks Master Kohga.."

"Yeah.. don't mention it." Kohga muttered quietly. He turned back to the center of the room. The malice that had been covering the Hylian Champion had disappeared, turning into wispy particles before disappearing back through the ground.

"So.." Kohga muttered quietly, "what now?"

Pan sniffled, "You should go. Back to your Clan."

Kohga felt numb as he looked back at her, "But what about you?"

Pan tapped the Sheikah slate, putting away the three lynel weapons and pulled out the Master Sword, Dragon's Shield and Bow of Light. "I'm going to stop the Calamity."

Kohga stared at her numbly, "..All by yourself? But you're just a trainee."

" _Child_ Master Kohga." Pan turned to him, her green eyes focused on the Yiga Clan leader, "The proper term is child."

"..Child.." Kohga looked away from her, "..Yeah, I know that." he shut his grey eyes, a certain memory coming back to him. "..Where is Dorian?"

Pan glanced at him, "..Why do you want to know?"

"I just.. want to know that he's safe. Alive."

"..So you're not going to go after him? To kill him? Or his family?"

"No!" Kohga snapped, looking at her his grey eyes fierce, "If I couldn't even have Robbie killed, what makes you think I would have my-" his eyes widened and he stammered as he looked away from her "ah, D-Dorian killed?"

Pan shut her eyes for a moment, taking in a short breath, then reopened them, "He's in Akkala."

Akkala.. Kohga sighed out relieved, "..He's not coming here is he? To help you?"

"I certainly hope not." Pan moved to stand, her hands tightening on the Master Sword. Kohga looked at it, how it glowed a bright blue.. it hadn't glowed like that when he had been in Kara Kara Bazaar a century ago. According to the stories, the sword only glowed in the presence of the Great Calamity or those possessed by it. Kohga shut his eyes. They weren't monsters with malice in their veins after all, were they? Even back then when they had tried to kill the Princess..

"Master Kohga." the girl spoke out firmly, "I think you need to leave. Now."

Kohga turned to look at the Hero's.. Link's body and he swallowed, grief, guilt and a centurys worth of repressed trauma raining down on him. "..What if I don't _want_ too."

Pan turned to him, her green eyes fierce, "I'm not giving you a choice." and she tapped the Sheikah slate. Kohga's grey eyes widened as he reached for her, "Pan--!" but it was too late, Kohga disappeared in a stream of blue light as he was teleported away from the sanctum.

Pan sighed, turning back to Link's body. She could see it now. Not the Calamity.. but the shimmering white form that was appearing from it, stepping forwards to her. The Spirit of the Hero.

"Y-You've been waiting for me, haven't you?" Pan stammered, her hands tightening on the hilt of the Master Sword. The Spirit of the Hero didn't respond, stepping forwards towards her again. Despite herself, Pan stepped back. "Wait. What happens to me when we fuse?" Pan had tears filling her eyes, "..Do I go back to being called Link? Do I not get a say in the matter? I want to be called _Pan_."

( _"Your name is unimportant."_ )

"It's important to me!"

( _"Let us rephrase that. We do not care what you call yourself. Link. Or any other name. It means nothing to us. Hero. That is the only true name. The one who weilds the Master Sword. The one who protects the Goddess. The one who fights the Hatred. The protector of Hyrule."_ )

"So.." she shut her eyes, "..I can still be called Pan."

( _"By others, yes. If that is what you wish for."_ )

Pan stepped towards the Spirit of the Hero, which in turn stepped towards her. The Spirit of the Hero was changing.. first to that Knight, in the green tunic.. the Hero of the Sky.. then to a strange skeleton wearing armour (stalfos her mind.. no, the Spirit of the Hero told her).. the Hero of Time.. then to the wolf.. the Hero of Twilight.. and then to her uncle.. the Hero of the Wilds. Finally, it took one final form and Pan looked upon an exact copy of herself, in that white form, shimmering. This was going to be her. The Hero of the Dragons, as Maz Koshia had called her.

Everything in her journey had been leading to this moment. Her whole journey passed through her eyes in a moment, starting from when she had been teleported from Lurelin all those months ago, all the way to right now, finding herself here in this strange room under Hyrule Castle.. people too. Every person she had met on this journey. Her _friends_. The people she had fought for and with, all to save this land of Hyrule.

Her free hand shaking, Pan raised her hand to the shimmering form.. but then stopped, and raised it higher still, touching a lock of her white hair. The Spirit of the Hero watched her impassively.

( _"Do not worry about your body. We shall repair it for you."_ )

Her eyes widened. "..What?"

The Spirit of the Hero turned to Link's body and she realised. He still had his blonde hair, his natural blue eyes too despite them being shut now. Despite being connected to a Sheikah slate for one hundred years, he looked exactly the same as he had back then.

"..Is that what you do? Make sure the Hero is alive and well and fully functioning for the task ahead?"

( _"Yes. No matter what injury, no matter how the Hero gets hurt, they will always survive to fulfill their mission."_ )

Pan swallowed. "..But he didn't."

( _"The Hero of the Wilds chose a different path and so fate granted us a different set of circumstances. That has happened before, with the the Hero of Time. In this circumstance, his sacrifice allowed for a new Hero to be born. When you take that into consideration, he fulfilled his mission too. He survived long enough to pass us on to you."_ )

Pan could feel her tears filling up her eyes again as she looked at her uncle's body. Cruel. This was too cruel.

"But he was a person."

( _"He was the Chosen Hero."_ )

"His name was Link."

( _"His name was unimportant."_ )

Pan turned to the Hero's Spirit, tears spilling down her cheeks. "What exactly are you? You're a spirit, but you exist seperate from each Hero's own spirit, that's what I was told."

( _"The Goddess wished for us, and so granted us an immortal soul that will forever pass on. We were then reinforced by the Demon King's curse."_ )

Pan shut her eyes. With the Spirit of the Hero this close, a memory was coming to her. Of another life, not her own in time immemorial, and her lips were moving before she could stop them. "It is born anew in a cycle with no end. Those who share the blood of the Goddess and the Spirit of the Hero.. they are eternally bound to this curse." She reopened her eyes and it was like he was there right in front of her. The being who started it all. "Demise." And another still who had created the Spirit of the Hero. "Hylia."

She could feel the ground shaking under her feet in the real world and she stepped backwards, reappearing back in the circular red room. The entire room under the sanctum was shaking heavily and she stumbled backwards.

The Spirit of the Hero was reaching for her.

( _"We must become one. Now."_ )

Pan looked at the Spirit of the Hero in front of her. And heard felt the roar of the Calamity beneath her. She didn't know which of them reached her first. But the next thing she knew, she was falling backwards into darkness.

\---

They heard the roar.

Revali threw both wings up. "Our moment has finally come! For Hyrule! For my friends! And for Link! Brace yourself for the sting of our revenge!"

Still with tears on her face, Mipha clasped her hands together. "Last time we were robbed of our oppurtunity, but now for those precious lives and time you have taken from us, for our future, this time we shall not fail!"

Daruk slammed his fists together, "That's right! Let's go little sister! Open up swirling swine, and get out of our lives for good this time!"

Urbosa raised one hand. "A hundred years in the making--" And for a single moment, she stopped. It was almost like she remembered something. Back there in Naboris when she had been possessed. A song that she could barely remember the lyrics too. A presence desperately clinging onto her. The Gerudo sighed, looking at the castle with sadness in her green eyes as she spoke quietly. "..I don't know what happened to you. For what it's worth, I don't hold it against the person you were. But the others are right. I am sorry.. but it's time for you to go."

Kass watched as the four lasers turned a deep dark blue, firing off right into the sanctum and he swallowed desperately as he clung to his concertina. "..Good luck."

\---

The inhabitants of Tarrey Town had been huddled together in the central area, looking at the clouds.. but then, the sun itself started to glow a crimson red. Dorian's hand shook on his eightfold blade. This was bad. This was _really_ bad. Thanks to the magic in his chest, he could feel it all around him. Not just in Akkala, but all of Hyrule. The monsters were going wild, aggressive, just like on a blood moon.

He turned to the inhabitants, "You all need to get inside."

There was panic in Granté's blue Hylian like eyes, "What's going on Dorian?"

"It's the Hero. She's in the castle, fighting the Calamity _right now_. Even though it's daytime, you need to treat this as if it's a blood moon."

"A blood moon?!" The old couple were clininging onto each other as they shook, "But we had no warning, there was no chill in the air or--"

"There wouldn't be."

Hunnie's family didn't need to be told twice. The couple grabbed their daughter and rushed for their home. The old couple too, and Granté helped them, moving to get their pets inside. Dorian turned to the Son employees, "You all need to get inside too."

He turned back to the bridge, could feel the monsters approaching it, and felt the warmth in his face. He knew he had that orange eyed state activated again.

( _"..Monk?"_ | _"Yes, but not the one you spoke with last time."_ | Dorian blinked. That was a different voice. | _"..Who is this?"_ | _"I am the one who created the Yiga Clan."_ | Dorian shivered. He knew the Clan had started off a lot different in that time, but it was still.. | _"What do you want?"_ | _"To help.. and to apologise."_ | Dorian grit his teeth. | _"What do you need to apologise for? I agree with you. How we and the Zonai were treated back then.."_ | The voice laughed bitterly. | _"You don't even know the whole story."_ | _"I don't need to know."_ | _"..Hm."_ | the voice regarded Dorian contemplatively. | _"It's funny. In all this time, I don't think I've met someone who's heart burned with as much hatred for the Goddess as yours does. Not since.. well.. me."_ | Dorian shivered. | _"It wasn't like that at the beginning. I was ambivalent at best towards the Goddess."_ | _"But then you met her."_ | _"Yes."_ | _"You know Dorian. We Sheikah were the chosen guardians of the Goddess back then. To protect her Reborn form, which in turn became a destiny passed down through a certain family, to continue to protect the Princess."_ | _"I'm aware. The Impa line."_ | _"But.. the Sheikah, we don't have the curse. There is no connection with us like there is the Spirit of the Hero, the Blood of the Goddess and the Reincarnation of Hatred."_ | she laughed bitterly. | _"We Sheikah did this to ourselves."_ | Dorian shut his eyes. The monsters they were getting closer with each passing second.. | _"And yet I always wondered back then. Why the Goddess? The Goddess was almighty all powerful. And yet her Chosen Hero.. sometimes a young adult.. sometimes a child.. always inprepared for the trials they had to face. A curse of suffering, to wander a blood-soaked sea of darkness for all time, alone and miserable."_ | Dorian could feel tears filling his closed eyes as the voice continued. | _"I like to think.. that's why some of our ancestors started working closely with the Zonai. To help protect them for the future."_ | The voice gave a gentle laugh. | _"It was.. nice. Seeing you and her fight along side each other in Gerudo Desert. It was like seeing the Zonai and the Sheikah working together again."_ | _"Should I go there? To Hyrule Castle?"_ | _"No. You are exactly where you need to be."_ )

Dorian opened his eyes. He could see them now, the bokoblins coming over the bridge. He raised a hand, firing off the biggest shield barrier he had ever made, just in front of the town's gate, blocking them from entering the town fully. The bokoblins shrieked as they were stopped from moving forwards. Next to him, Granté who had returned from helping the old couple gasped. "Woah. I've never seen rune magic like that before!"

Dorian grit his teeth. Granté was Robbie's son. Robbie was Kohga's cousin. In another life, maybe Granté would have been the leader of the Yiga Clan instead of him. (although he briefly wondered if they would have ever allowed that.. a half Hylian becoming the leader of the Clan..)

No, he had to focus. He wouldn't be able to hold this barrier for very long in his disguised form, even with the spirit magic she had given him. He would have to drop his disguise. He could feel the monk's spirit envelop him. He only hoped, that after this was all over, he would at least be allowed to take his things back from the inn before he was kicked out of the town, thinking of Kiyah's letter back in his pack..

( _"I will support you descendent of the Yiga Clan.. of the Sheikah. For as long as I can. You and Pan both."_ | Uh.. Dorian's eyes burrowed. | _"Who's Pan?"_ | _"Oh. That would be our little friend. The former Link. She chose to rename herself."_ | Dorian smiled widely. His heart felt light. She was no longer a Link in a Chain. She had forged her own destiny. And to think.. had he continued on his own path.. if it hadn't been for her, he probably would have been renamed 'Kohga' at this point. The voice laughed softly. | _"It's funny. Chosing that word in particular. It's not a proper translation of the word that the Zonai used to call themselves. That particular word has been completely lost to time after all. But.. all things considering, the Pandora would be an appropiate name for them. Those people who were gifted in the form a curse."_ )

Dorian stepped forwards, raising both hands to the barrier as he made it even larger, trying to push the monsters back as they shrieked and tried to break through.

( _Pan. I will support you here in anyway I can._ )

He felt out with the magic all across Hyrule.. Zora's Domain, Goron City, Rito Village, Gerudo Town.. he could feel the four of them. The representives, Sidon, Yunobo, Teba and Riju. All of them were fighting to protect their homelands from the aggressive monsters trying to break in. He felt even further beyond. Hateno. Lurelin. Tabantha. Shadow Hamlet. Goponga. The stables and the other settlements too in Hyrule that had sprung up in the last century. They were all safe, they had locked their doors, were in hiding, despite having no warning. Hylians were good people, and they had learned well in this century. He pushed deeper still. To Kakariko. Dorian's face felt hot. He could sense her. Kiyah and his daughters, in the home they once shared.

( _Please stay safe Kiyah. Protect Koko and Cottla. I.. love you. I always have, ever since the time I first met you in Faron. Even if I was in denial about it for years._ )

He felt even further, to Central Hyrule. The Champions were firing on the castle. The Rito bard was there too. But he couldn't sense Pan.

( _Pan._ ) he tried to will his thoughts to her through the magic they shared. ( _You be safe too. Be good, and kind, and.. survive!_ )

\---

On Storm, Zelda galloped as fast as she could, over Proxim Bridge and taking a sharp turn, heading north towards the castle over Hyrule Field. Faster. They needed to go faster. She willed her thoughts to the horse, tapping her ankles to the horse's sides, and he in turn responded to her. The sun was glowing red, but she didn't even look at it. The castle. She needed to get to it. It was the only thing she was thinking of right now.

\---

The four Champions could see it now, coming down from the castle. A form completely covered in the malice like they too had been once. A massive boar of a monster that would completely destroy Hyrule if they didn't stop it. The wind was frantic around them. The sun glowing red above them. Their Divine Beasts needed a break after firing their beam the first time and yet.. they could feel their spirits, linked with their own souls. They were pushing forwards, making the connection stronger still. They were charging the beams again, pushing past the usual time limit. The four Champions raised their hands again. They were going to stop this. They had too.

Still on Medoh, Kass was.. beyond terrified. What a beast of a creature that was, coming right for them. Is this what they had to deal with ten thousand years ago? How was she going to fight that? Where _was_ she?

\---

Kohga screamed out as he tumbled forwards into Kurasa Valley against his will. "Master Kohga!" there were blademasters around him immediately, helping him up, but he pushed them back. Had it been the old him, he would have gone and had a nap. But he didn't even feel tired. He looked up into the glowing red sun and instead of deep reverance he once felt, he was completely _terrified_.

"No, stop, it all of you!" he pushed back the frantic blademasters as stumbled to his feet. He needed to get back there, to Hyrule Field. He pushed his hands together, trying to concentrate on the energy beneath the ground, the paths of Hyrule. But it was suddenly so hard. It was like all of Hyrule was quivering in fear of the beast that had appeared. He turned to the blademasters and they could see the tears filling his eyes.

"Master.. where's your mask?" one of the blademasters asked.

"I.. I lost it. It's back in the Castle. I couldn't get it before I was teleported out."

"Well, we can always make you a new one.." another blademaster murmured, but Kohga wasn't paying attention to them right now as his eyes were focused back on the glowing red sun.

"This.. this is _wrong_." Kohga heard himself whispering and the blademasters stared at him. He could feel the shock radiating from them. 

"Master?!"

"I was _wrong_." Kohga continued as he felt his tears leak from his eyes, aggravating his scars. "There's no salvation for us. We won't survive this. The entire Clan.. and all of Hyrule will be burned to the ground if we don't stop this right now."

"Master Kohga, what _happened_ to you?!"

There! It was a brief feeling of the energy, where he had first teleported in Central Square, what already felt like a lifetime ago, but he managed to lock onto it. And with his talismans, he teleported back to the fight.

\---

( _Darkness completely surrounded her. Choked her. Someone was reaching out for her. She could feel it, the malice. "Ganon."_

_"..So, you're finally made it, for good this time Spirit of the Hero." It was some sort of mixture of the two voices. The boy and the choking Hatred behind it._

_She opened her eyes, and could see him. The Sheikah boy. The Gerudo voe. The Great Calamity, in it's full might, the boar. The dark void was shifting around her. The Hero of Twilight versus the boar. The Hero of Time versus the Gerudo. The Hero of the Sky versus the Demon King._

_"I knew you would accept your role. Just like I did all those years ago." He was walking towards her and she turned to face him. "It is fate's curse after all. You and I are eternally bound to these roles, to fight against each other for the rest of eternity." he tilted his head, "You even saved the Goddess Reborn, did you not? You said you could not save her.. and yet you have."_

_She took in a deep breath, "Do you.. really want to destroy Hyrule? I was told you loved this land back then.. your land. Your home."_

_The voe laughed darkly at her. "It was always my destiny to destroy this land. The burning hatred inside me.. you can't possibly understand what it feels like."_

_"But I do." she looked up at him with her green eyes. "When you consumed me back at Naboris. I felt that hatred burning inside you and it took me over completely."_

_"That was then. This is now. You now have the Spirit of the Hero after all."_

_She could see the Demon King, raising the jagged black sword to her, but her eyes narrowed and she stepped forwards, raising her hand.. which nethertheless shook slightly with her fear, before she passed it through his visage, wiping the memory away._

_"Demise isn't here Ganon. Nor is Hylia. They're both gone, since time immemorial. It's just you and me now. We're the only ones left."_

_The voe.. the boar cackled maniacally. "How absurd. You are the Spirit of the Hero. I am the Reincarnation of Hatred." his voice rose, the second voice.. the choking hatred, the curse behind him booming at her, "FIGHT ME HERO!! KILL ME IF YOU EVEN CAN!! IT MATTERS NOT!! I WILL FOREVER BE REBORN AGAIN, IN A CYCLE WITH NO END!!"_

_"Ganon." She stepped towards him, placing her hands up, through the malice and touching the boy's face.. the true Gerudo voe child hidden under the Sheikah disguise magic. "Even after all this time, I still don't know what your original name was. But.. I don't think it matters. If you want to be called Ganon, then I will call you that."_

_"What are you doing?" the dark choking hatred called out to her._

_"Please." She looked at him, locking her green eyes with his yellow ones. "Before you fight me, look at me. Take a good long look at me really closely. I think you owe me that much after everything I've been through."_

_The voe looked at her. The Hylian child.. the Zonai.. the Hero. She looked exactly the same as she had back then in Naboris. Wearing Hyrulean soldier's armour instead of that green tunic he had expected her to appear in. And her blonde hair.. the voe froze. No. Her hair wasn't blonde. It was completely white. Sheikah white. And her eyes.. there were one green on the left, and one blue on the right.. that must have just happened, because both were green a moment ago. The blue eye didn't glow though, not like it had before. It was just.. blue._

_Pan tapped their foreheads together. "Tell me.. can you see the Spirit of the Hero inside me?"_

_No. No. This was impossible. He was completely reeling from shock. "You.. rejected it?"_

_"Yeah. I think I did."_

_The choking hatred, the curse, was shrieking in agony, in despair, in its own wild hatred. But there was nothing here for it to cling onto. But he could feel something else.. coming closer to him, and the hatred latched onto it. The Goddess. She was coming for him._

_Pan screamed as the entire dark void they were in seemed to both collapse and get stronger at the same time._

_"FINE!! YOU WANT TO MAKE A NEW CURSE?! I'LL GIVE IT TO YOU PAN OF THE ZONAI!! YOU AND ME, WE WILL ANNIHILATE THE GODDESS TOGETHER!!"_

_And then the malice was coming for her again._ )

\---

The Champions fired their beams again, the red turning into dark blue upon the Dark Beast in front of them.

"Come on..! COME ON!! SEAL DAMN YOU!!" Revali yelled, shuddering as he released the energy.

Mipha had collapsed to one knee, her hand trembling, "Please.. please, I know we don't have the Princess' power, but we have to be able to do this! We can't fail now, not after everything!"

Daruk screamed out, his hands balled into fists and his eyes tightened shut. "Yunobo kid.. I'm sorry..!!"

Urbosa staggered backwards, her eyes unable to leave the shreiking form of the beast in front of them. "Link..!" she thought of their fellow Champion, "Is this what you had to deal with for over a century?" No, he had to deal with even more hadn't he. He had been holding not just the Calamity back, but them four too. Keeping them alive, in their own Divine Beasts and preventing the Calamity from taking over the spirits. Link.. he had been so _strong_.

The wind was getting even more frantic around them, the sun glowing an even darker crimson. And then Urbosa somehow heard it, the galloping of hooves. She looked down, and her green eyes widened as she spotted her. It was the white horse that had appeared to them in Kakariko yesterday, the royal white stallion, just barely visible as it headed north past Naboris towards Mabe Village Ruins in the distance. And the person on top of it.. she was wearing traditional Hylian garb, the hood hiding the blonde hair and her face, but Urbosa knew it was her immediately. How could she not, that was her god daughter after all.

" _LITTLE BIRD?!_ "

\---

The sky was almost an entire dark purple now and Zelda could see it, the Sacred Ground Ruins just in front of her. And there was something else too. Something was calling out for her. The beast in front of them seemed to be staggering, shuddering as it seemingly fought with itself, and then it seemed to spit something out, right in front of her. Zelda unmounted the horse. She could hear it, even louder now, the soft trilling. She picked it up, running forwards even more, and it glowed blue in her hands.

The Sword that Seals the Darkness. The Master Sword as mystery girl had called it. ( _"I am ready when you are.. mistress Zelda."_ ) The spirit in the sword. _Fi_.

She pulled out the paraglider, riding the updraft as it was released from the massive form of the beast. Zelda could see it: a big yellow malice eye, covered in golden light, right above the beasts head. She released the paraglider and time seemed to slow down.

The beast in front of her was aiming, a beam of purple light aimed right for her, but she pushed forwards, her hands tightening around the Master Sword as she shot out a blue beam of light right into the eye, piercing it entirely.

A desperate screeching _howl_ erupted from the Dark Beast in front of her, as it collapsed, staggering to its knees and Zelda.. Zelda was falling backwards, to Hyrule Field beneath her.

The paraglider.. she desperately tried to reach for it. The Divine Beasts were moving for her, but they were too far back. She was falling.

Suddenly, there was smoke and a flash and strange red talismans appearing around her. The next thing she knew, she was back on the ground and there was a person holding onto her shoulders. "Are you okay?!" the man called out to her and Zelda turned to him.

"Yes, I am fine now thanks to you."

The man stumbled backwards, as he realised just who he had saved, his grey eyes wide. "..Princess Zelda?"

She smiled sadly, "Just Zelda actually. The Royal Family doesn't exist anymore." she moved to stand, holding the Master Sword tightly in her hand and looked at the stunned elderly man.

"And, who are you?"

The man.. Kohga just stared blankly at her as he collapsed to his knees, before looking back to the beast still collapsed. The Calamity was still alive, just barely. It had been taken down, but.. now what?

\---

( _"..I see."_

_Pan choked on the malice over her entire form as she looked to the voe desperately. She was barely holding on to her thoughts, her feelings, her identity. He had turned away from her, his eyes sunken and she saw that around his form was those same flickering blue flames._

_"So the Blood of the Goddess and the Spirit of the Hero have become one being. I.. did not think that was even possible." He turned to her and there was a wild look in his sunken eyes as he continued. "But even still, the new being needs a Hatred to fight against, does it not?"_

_"Please." she choked out, on the malice in her own throat, "Just.. let him go!" but her voice died in her throat. Who was she talking too? Demise.. the being who had started this curse, it was gone. So was Hylia. All that was left was them. The curse.. what exactly was it? She tried to focus on the Zonai spiral, remembering all the things she had learned so far._

_The curse.. wasn't really was a curse was it? Not a phsyical one at least. It was enforced through the people, causing pain and grief and suffering wherever it touched. A spiral of karma throughout history.._

_"I.. I'll look for the next you!" she called to Ganon, trying to reach for him through the malice and he turned his wild eyes to her. "I'll protect you! I'll make sure nothing happens to you! I won't allow them to become the next Reincarnation of Hatred, I promise!!"_

_"..You promise?" he laughed, a desperate broken sound, "..Do you not realise what you are saying? You have to take on the hatred.. the hatred burning in every person, the malice, burning in every single one of them for the rest of eternity. One being can't do all that. Especially not one without the Spirit of the Hero."_

_Pan could feel her tears burning inside her, as she tried to pull herself out of the malice._

_"I'll do it. I'll take that burden. Somehow, I'll figure it out. Please.. just go, be with your family and sleep for the rest of eternity. You've.. suffered enough." her voice.. her own voice was changing. The hatred behind Ganon's voice.. it was moving to her own._

_The voe laughed at her. He sounded tired. "You.. want to be the Reincarnation of Hatred that bad?"_

_The malice was completely taking her over, she was falling backwards into it. Ten thousand years of pain and suffering, and even more, since time immemorial. Bitter angry feelings were bubbling inside her that weren't her own. All the pain she had suffered in her own journey. Starting right there, at her parents deaths. All the pain everyone else had suffered. All the lives lost. All the time lost. Everything she had learned about Hyrule's past.._

_"NO I'M BETTER THEN THIS!"_

_She could feel them all fighting out there. The entirety of Hyrule. And not just them. She could feel the monsters too. They were looking to her now. Following her own voice. She felt so.. tired. A voice was crooning to her. Warm. Inviting. Enveloping her entirely. It was her own voice. "I've never been a Hylian before. Should be an interesting expirement."_

_Pan swallowed desperately, "You're not real. You don't exist." She was dying. She had to be dying. It was the only thing that made sense to her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the voe disappear into blue flames. And then the entirety of Hyrule's blood-soaked darkness was crashing down on her choking her with it._ )

\---

A piercing scream erupted Hyrule Field, shattering even the frantic winds and Kohga and Zelda looked up to the beast in front of them. It was disappearing, just like the malice had back beneath the sanctum, into little patricles of malice, and in the middle of it..

Kohga got up, rushing for the tiny Hylian who was screaming her head off, thrashing on the ground, a pool of malice forming under her tiny body, "PAN!!" Zelda's head turned to the Master Sword. It was frantically flickering from glowing blue and deactivated, as if it didn't want to believe what was happening.

"HELP ME!! SAVE ME!! SOMEONE, _ANYONE_!!" the girl was screaming frantically as she thrashed back and forwards, right there in the middle of the Sacred Grounds Ruins.

The four Divine Beast were moving forwards and Zelda rushed to the girl, moving to her knees in front of her. The malice.. it was like it was leaking from her own body. "What's.. what's happening to her?!"

Kohga moved the girl's head into his lap, just like he had back with Dorian at Kurasa Valley. Her hair.. it had turned completely white. So it had happened then. She was basically Sheikah now. He watched her thrash desperately, her limbs flailing. Then her mouth opened and Kohga recoiled. Malice was gurgling inside her mouth, just like it had previously. Before he had been ecstatic, but now he was _terrified_ for her.

"Pan.. what's happening to you?"

Her eyes opened and Kohga shuddered. Pure hatred was burning in her eyes (one green, one blue) that he couldn't even fathom. It didn't look _right_. She wasn't supposed to look like that. She was supposed to be kind and loving.. he had only just been with her for a few short hours, but he knew that about her.

They heard footsteps, and Zelda turned around as the four Champions and another Rito she didn't recognise came up. Urbosa gasped when she saw Kohga, and the scars on his face.. "You're--?!"

Kohga didn't even look at her, his entire attention was on the suffering thrashing girl in front of him. The four Champions were raising their weapons, but Zelda stood up, raising her arms, "It's okay! This man saved my life back there!"

"Saved your--?!" Urbosa looked desperately from Zelda to Kohga, "But he's from the Yiga Clan!"

Kass was rushing to Pan's side, pulling down the soldier's armour on her left side and they all shuddered. The malice burn on her shoulder, it was pulsing a sickly purple. That was where the malice pooling under was coming from.

"Help.. me.." Pan sobbed, even as her eyes seemingly narrowed with _more_ hatred, "Please.. help.. me..!"

Mipha rushed to her side, activating her healing power and pressing her hands to the burn. Her hands burned as she touched the malice, but it was fine. She needed to help her. But no matter what, it wouldn't heal.

"Why.. why can't I heal you?!" Mipha sobbed, tears falling from her yellow eyes.

"Link.." Daruk muttered, but then Kohga turned to the Goron yelling at him angrily, "Don't call her that! Her name is Pan!"

"Ah?!" Daruk looked at him a surprised look on his face, as he covered his mouth. He hadn't known. None of them had.

"Pan.." Kass' eyes softened, taking her hands in his wing, "..I remember, that's what your mother was going to call you, wasn't it?"

"Mother..! Father..!" Pan sobbed, shutting her eyes once more.

( _"BURN IT ALL TO THE GROUND. FOR EVERYTHING THE GODDESS TOOK FROM YOU. FOR EVERYTHING THEY TRIED TO MAKE YOU BECOME."_ )

"Grandmother..!"

( _"EVEN IF SHE'S STILL MIRACULOUSLY ALIVE, YOU WON'T HAVE MUCH LONGER WITH HER. YOU'RE GOING TO BE ALONE."_ )

"Kiyah..!"

( _"WHY WOULD SHE TAKE CARE OF YOU NOW? AFTER WHAT YOU'VE BECOME? SHE WILL DESPISE YOU. THEY ALL WILL. ALL OF YOUR SO CALLED FRIENDS."_ )

Pan's eyes opened, "Kass..!" and the Rito's wing tightened around her hands. "I'm here Pan. We all are."

Pan looked over. They were all there. The Champions, Kohga (when had he come back? he was supposed to be safe in Kurasa Valley) and.. Pan felt the malice inside her burn even _stronger_ when she noticed Zelda there.

" _NO_!!" she turned away from Zelda desperately, shutting her eyes. The malice was gurgling in her mouth and she vomited onto the symbol of the three triangles there in the center of the Sacred Ground Ruins.

"Pan, what's happening to you?!" Urbosa leant over, running her hands through the girl's white hair.

"Kill.. me.."

They all recoiled. "What?!"

"Please.. kill.. me.." Pan sobbed, "before I.. turn into.. the next.. Calamity.."

The Champions pulled back, horrified looks on their faces, "The next Calamity?! Pan--!"

"No.." Kohga's hands tightened on her shoulders, tears falling from his face, "No, _please_ , I don't want this..! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!!"

"Pan." Kass' wings were trembling, "Think about everyone you've ever met. All the people you helped, all the _lives_ you saved. They all love you so dearly. Focus on that love, let it drive out the hatred."

Pan just started screaming _louder_ , her voice practically hoarse from screaming.

Zelda turned to the Master Sword in her hands. It was completely glowing blue now, the tip pointed at Pan's form, thrashing right there on the Sacred Ground Ruins.

"Don't you dare!!" Kohga screamed at her, but Zelda shook her head and backed away. "No.. of course not, I wouldn't."

"Ah.. we're got company." Daruk muttered and they all looked around. Monsters were crawling out into the fields, bokoblins, moblins, lizalfos.. even a _lynel_. They weren't attacking though. They were all staring right at Pan.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!!" Revali yelled out, raising his Great Eagle Bow. The four Champions and Zelda circled around Pan, protecting her tiny thrashing form as Kass and Kohga remained with her.

She was dying.. she was _dying_..!

( _Pan opened her eyes. She was alone in that dark void and it was completely enveloping her. Warm. Safe. Welcoming. If she accepted this.. she would never be alone again. A wide desperate broken smile cracked onto her face. "I'm going to burn it all to the ground. It's my destiny." the voice was almost completely mingled with her own now. It would be so easy.. to just let go.. it was right there in front of her. She just had to reach for it.._

_"Pan."_

_Someone was calling for her. And she knew that voice. The dark void was disappearing.. the light was returning, however faintly. She stepped forwards, reaching out of the malice, and then two people were holding onto her, hugging her tightly. She could feel her tears falling down her face._

_"Mama. Papa."_

_"Hello dear." Her mother smiled at her, green eyes that had been so much like her own, and Pan felt tired.. and happy._

_"Am.. I dead?"_

_"No. Not yet." Pan turned to her father. He looked exactly the same as she remembered._

_"I'm so sorry." she sobbed to them, "It's too much. I can't fight this. The entire blood-soaked history of Hyrule.. I should have just taken the Spirit of the Hero when it tried to become one with me."_

_"Pan dear." her mother touched her face, and she leaned into it, her mother's touch.. it was exactly the same as she remembered. "You would have become someone you didn't want to be. That wasn't what you wanted, was it?"_

_"No.." she admitted. "I know you both decided to give me the name 'Link'. And I loved that name, if it weren't for that name I would have never become who I am today.. but I don't want to be that person anymore." she swallowed, "..So, is it okay if I stick with Pan?"_

_Her parents were smiling at her, "Of course. You can be anyone you want to be."_

_Her voice was stuck in her throat, her eyes becoming dull, "..Even if that means becoming the Reincarnation of Hatred?"_

_"Pan, do you want to be the Hatred?" There was a new voice and she turned to him._

_"Uncle." she choked out and he smiled._ _"So you.. passed on?"_

_"No. Not yet. My spirit is still on the Great Plateau with my King." Link shut his eyes sadly, "..I want to say goodbye to them, before I pass on."_

_Pan nodded, and the three spirits were enveloping her, filling her with their warmth. She could feel the hatred evaporating and her tears became stronger. "I don't want to leave."_

_"Pan.. think of all the people who will be sadened if you were to die right here." her mother spoke gently._

_"Have.. you been watching me?"_

_"No." her father spoke softly, "That's not how the Spirit Realm works. But we can see it all over your face. All the lives you have touched, all the people who love you."_

_"..All the people who have suffered.." Pan muttered quietly._

_Her uncle reached over, ruffling her hair, "You can't change the past Pan. All you can do is keep moving forwards, and become better each and every day. That's all you can really do."_

_She smiled, despite herself. That was more or less what she had told Dorian._

_"Pan." her mother was calling for her, "Be good."_

_"And kind." her father continued._

_"And happy." Link spoke out._

_"And.. live." all three spoke out in unison as a burst of warmth and light filled her very soul, her spirit._ )

She returned back to Hyrule. "I'm better then this!" she screamed out and Kohga startled. He had been sobbing into her shoulder. So had Kass, into her hands. "Demise, Hylia, neither of you control me! Only I control me!"

( _"NO! NO! YOU CAN'T BREAK THIS CURSE!!"_ )

"Fight it!" Revali.

"You can do it little sister!" Daruk.

"We believe in you!" Mipha.

"We're here with you, always." Urbosa.

Zelda was suddenly there, touching the symbol of the Royal Family on her chest, Pan turned to her and startled.. she couldn't see _either_ the Spirit of the Hero or the Blood of the Goddess.. her supposed sealing powers, inside her. There was such a gentle smile on Zelda's face.. Pan looked at the Master Sword still clasped in her hand. It was flickering much slower now, between activated and unactivated. The hatred inside her.. was dying. It had nothing to hold onto.

She had no idea if she was actually the Reincarnation of Hatred or not, but even if she _was_ , that didn't mean she had to be full of hate herself. She thought about the entire history of Hyrule.. and chose to let all of it go. It was all in the past. What mattered now was the _future_. And she wanted to _live_ in that future. Not destroy it.

"Kass.." she spoke quietly and shut her eyes, a small smile on her face, "Can you sing one of Sheik's songs for me?"

"Of course Pan." he pulled out his concertina and despite his shaking wings, began to play, "The flames crawl~ the waters rise~ the lightning strikes~ the wind sighs~ a beast beyond the divine four~ awaits a hero forevermore~ let not the sound leave horses riled~ breath in the Breath of the Wild."

Pan laughed, a bright happy sound, "I've already done that one! That's the horse Divine Beast." she smiled fondly, She could see them now. Maz.. Chi.. and the Gerudo voe. Who actually appeared as the Gerudo voe he should have been, instead of the Sheikah boy he was made to become. He was holding one each of his father's and aunt's hands, and the three of them were smiling at her.. and then they turned and disappeared into blue flames. "Bye." she whispered to them. "Until we meet again." But hopefully not for a long time.

She reopened her eyes, looking up at Kohga was looking down at her, Pan's head still in his lap. He looked like a _wreck_ and she chuckled softly, tiredly. "You look _terrible_ Master Kohga."

"Are you.. okay?"

"Yeah.. I'm fine now." she croaked. Her voice was beyond hoarse from all the screaming, and she moved to sit up, turning to the Zora, "Hey Mipha, you want to try healing my arm again?"

"I would but.." she looked around. Oh. Monsters, a lot of them. They were approaching faster, looking directly at her. Pan sighed, moving to stand, staggering a little from how tired she was. Kass, Kohga and Zelda all reached for her, keeping her standing as she turned to the monsters, before calling out to them in their own language. (That didn't mean anything, she just knew the language now because of the hatred's previous chokehold on her.)

"Hey. Beat it all of you. And tell your buddies to stop attacking the settlements too."

The monsters all immediately started to run away. Except for the lynel, which was glaring down at her. Pan's eyes narrowed at it. She recognised this lynel. It was the one from Coliseum Ruins. It must have been reborn because of what happened today.

"That goes double for you, mister lynel." The lynel growled at her. ( _"The others might be fooled, but I am not. You are not my master."_ )

Pan cocked her head at it. "Yeah? You're smart lynel. Tell me. There are four Divine Beasts, four incredibly powerful Champions who control them, the leader of the Yiga Clan, the person holding the legendary Master Sword.. and me of course. You think you can take all of us on?"

The lynel's green eyes turned to all the people.. then turned back to Pan. ( _"Very well. We lynels only follow the strong after all. And you have become very powerful. More powerful then you were the last time I fought you. I relent to you, young one."_ ) it turned on it's hooves and started to leave, heading back to Coliseum Ruins in the distance.

Pan sighed, turning back to the others who were all staring at her dumbfounded. "Pan what the _HECK_ was that?!" Kohga was speaking out.

"Oh.. yeah." Pan laughed and shrugged, "I guess I can speak monster now?" Mipha stepped to her, and Pan pulled the soldier's armour down as Mipha activated her power. Pan shut her eyes, feeling the healing power working on her malice burn and smiled tiredly. The dark clouds were going away.. as was the red sun above her, returning to its usual colour. The Sheikah slate beeped on her belt and she took it from her belt with her free hand.

Their presences were gone from it now, but Pan still had it. Not like she really needed it, she was able to use rune magic even before she turned completely Sheikah, but she guessed it would come in handy, with the way she could teleport other people and the Divine Beasts. Pan turned to them in the distance, she supposed with Maz gone she was their overseer now.

\---

( _"Hey."_ | _"..Monk?"_ | _"I have to go now. Look after Pan for me, okay descendent?"_ | _"..Sure. If she wants me to."_ | _"Bye Dorian."_ | _"..Goodbye. And thank you."_ | He could feel her beaming at him.. and then Dorian felt her presence leave for good.)

Dorian was panting as he lay down in front of the Goddess Statue. The glowing red sun had disappeared and the monsters were leaving. They actually seemed kind of _confused_ as they headed backwards over the bridge. They had tried to break the barrier so many times, slowly making chips in it, but Dorian hadn't relented, he had rebuilt the barrier so many times to stop them from breaking through. He turned to his side, spotting Granté who was looking at him stunned.

Oh. Right. He looked down at himself. He was still in his blademaster uniform after all. The mass displacement and disguise magic had been released a while back. He moved to sit up, cracking his neck a little. Well, it was time to go then. He would find somewhere else to stay instead.

"Hey.." Hudson spoke to him, bending down to his knees, "..Thanks. For saving our town."

..?

"YEAH!!" Greyson leaned over and whacked his back and Dorian choked, staggering forwards a little. A Goron's strength was no joke, even as a blademaster. Pelison was smiling widely, "Your barrier magic was so cool mister Yiga sir." Fyson sighed, "Pelison, his name is _Dorian_." He looked to Kapson, who just gave him a thumbs up. Dorian turned over his shoulder, spotting the Gerudo.. surely.. _surely_ she would have a problem with this? Rhondson looked at all the other town inhabitants who were all still congratulating him, then the Gerudo shrugged as if to say 'oh well'.

"Mad. This whole town's _mad_." Hunnie's father was saying, the family watching from their house. "Maybe we should move." He moved to shut the door.

Dorian frowned. He could still feel Granté's eyes on him. That's right.. his grandfather had been murdered by the Clan after all. Even if the others were okay with him staying, surely Granté..

The half Hylian came to sit down beside him, letting out a sigh, "Well, now _everything_ makes sense. I was trying to figure out what your deal is ever since you first arrived. You seemed way too jaded, even for a Sheikah."

Dorian sighed, "..Granté. You don't have to talk to me if you don't want too. I know what happened with your father.. and your grandfather."

Granté smiled at him, "Don't be silly Dorian. It's not like _you_ were the one killed grandfather Jaq. You wouldn't have even been _born_ back then."

He sighed.. that was true. He swallowed nervously, looking back at Hudson. "So.. it's okay if I stay then?"

"You're Link's friend. Even if you hadn't saved our town, that makes you good in our eyes."

Dorian chuckled tiredly, "Actually, she goes by Pan now."

"Pan.." Hudson hummed, "Too bad. If she called herself Panson instead, she could have come and worked for Bolson Construction."

Dorian just laughed.

\---

Back on Hyrule Field, Pan felt it.. a presence coming to them from the castle. Pan looked over shoulder to castle town behind her. Oh. The Spirit of the Hero was still here. And it had taken _Zelda's_ form, the white shimmering spirit walking over to the unsuspecting girl. Pan rushed forwards, spreading her arms out blocking it "I don't think so! How about you _ask_ for permission before you go hopping into someone else's body, huh?" the Spirit recoiled backwards from her (hey, she wasn't angry.. just annoyed that's all) 

The others were all staring at her. "Uh.. Pan, who are you talking too?" Kohga spoke out nervously.

Zelda turned to her.. and then her eyes widened. She could see the white shimmering form too. "..Pan, what _is_ that?"

Pan swallowed, "..The Spirit of the Hero. It wants to join with you, since you weild the Master Sword now." The other's eyes widened as they looked around wildly, but none of them could see the Spirit except for Pan and Zelda. Kohga especially hid behind Pan and the others.

Pan looked at the Spirit, with her heterochromia blue and green eyes. "..It's afraid of me. Since I almost became the Calamity myself." her voice was becoming hoarser and gravelier the more she spoke and she reached up, massaging her throat a little.

( _"We would have never granted you the ability to speak if we knew what was going to happen today."_ )

Pan's eyes widened. "..What?" she looked at the spirit in shock, "That's why I can talk?! Because of you?!"

( _"..It would have been unwise if neither the the Hero of the Wilds or the Hero of the Dragons could speak. You would need to speak for this journey ahead, so we gave you the ability through the weak connection you had with your predecessor through the Master Sword. Although we suppose you are no longer the Hero of the Dragons. Or a Hero at all."_ ) The Spirit was turning to Zelda. ( _"Instead the Goddess Reborn shall be.. hm. The Hero of Hyrule maybe?"_ )

"No thanks." Zelda spoke out quietly, her hand tightening around the hilt of the Master Sword. "I don't really want to be a Hero. I just want to explore and learn more about this land. If I have to protect people on the way so be it, but it's not my goal."

( _"You can do that with us."_ ) The spirit was moving towards Zelda, raising a shimmering hand towards her. Pan.. felt kind of bad for them. They were being rejected twice in a single day. ( _"You have the Master Sword. You have to be with us. Where will we go? We are the Spirit of the Hero. What if the Reincarnation of Hatred is reborn again. We must exist with our Chosen Hero.."_ )

Pan pondered, shutting her eyes. Then she placed a hand to her chest, remembering Kurasa Valley.. and a certain Queen's words in a certain memory.

"..Who said the Spirit of the Hero has to be just _one_ person?"

The Spirit of the Hero turned to her. ( _"What do you mean?"_ )

"You keep saying 'we'. Not 'I'. Why is that?"

( _"..."_ ) The Spirit of the Hero put its own hand to it's chest. It was shimmering wildly. ( _"..When each Hero passes on, their own individual Spirit will go to the Spirit Realm, while their experiences, and their memories if need be, will pass on to the next Hero. We.. are a collective. We guide our Hero through their adventure. And then we move on, for the next adventure."_ )

"So.. you _play_ as part of someone else's life?" Pan frowned, "Almost like it's some sort of _game_?"

( _"..It does sound bad when you put it that way, but we assure you, this is how it has always have been."_ )

Pan stepped towards the Spirit. "..I remember something I heard in a memory once. A woman who wondered why she alone was given a certain power, when the entirety of Hyrule could benefit from it."

Urbosa gasped and her hands flew to her mouth as her eyes filled with tears.

Pan smiled, "I think that _everyone_ who lives in Hyrule should have a piece of the Spirit of the Hero inside them. To protect them, and so they can protect each other."

Zelda smiled widely, "I like that idea."

The Spirit looked down at their own hands.. and then started to shimmer. Everyone there gasped as they finally could see the spirit. First it turned to Mipha's form.. and then Daruk.. Revali.. Urbosa.. Kass.. even Master Kohga (who winced and hid behind the other even more at it).. and then more, Sidon, Yunobo, Teba, Riju, _Dorian_ (Kohga's eyes glistened with tears upon seeing him) and the Spirit began to get even more frantic, taking on countless forms all at once. Pan recognised some of them. Harth.. Buliara.. Beedle.. Dorephan.. Robbie.. Vilia.. Bludo.. Paya.. Kiyah.. even Koko and Cottla.. and Tulin.. all five of Kass' daughters one after another.. 

( _"Are you sure about this? We can do it. We are many after all."_ )

Pan nodded. "Everyone helped me to reach this moment." she smiled, looking back at the others. "We only won here today because of all of them."

( _"If we do this.. we won't be as strong anymore. You will lose your ability to speak."_ )

Pan swallowed, touching her throat. "Then I will just have to learn again, won't I?"

The Spirit seemed to resign itself. ( _"Very well. We shall become everyone, and everyone will become a part of us. But.."_ ) They seemed to hesitate. ( _"This will not be a permanent thing. If we are ever needed again, we will reform and find a new Hero."_ )

Pan chuckled, "Then let's just hope the Reincarnation of Hatred is never reborn again." She touched her own chest. ( _You hear that boar monster? If you're really in there.. it's time to let the past go and look forwards for a new future. You and I.. we're going to coexist peacefully in this land of Hyrule together._ ) Actually.. she pondered for a moment. If the Calamity was born from her, would it even be a boar? Would it be a different animal all together? She wondered if she would be reborn as a dragon.. she was supposed to have been the Hero of the Dragons after all.

The Spirit of the Hero shut it's 'eyes'.. and then began to split, into hundreds, no _thousands_ of individual pieces of white light, shooting off in every direction of Hyrule. Pan turned around, with eyes wide, watching them all leave.

"H-hey wait!" Kohga was stammering as he ran around the Sacred Ground Ruins, as one of the pieces followed him, "I never agreed to this!"

Pan laughed softly.. even as she felt her voice start to die in her throat, "Master Kohga, you're still going to be the same person you were before, it won't make you any different."

"Yeah, you say that _now_! What if I don't _want_ to be a complete goody two shoes! I'm still Yiga after all!"

Revali reached out with his wing as a piece of the Hero's Spirit landed in it and let out a sigh. "..You used to be with Link, didn't you?" he chuckled, "Well, I'm not going to lose to him." and he placed the piece to his own chest.

Daruk grabbed his piece, smiling widely "Yeah! After hearing all that, how could I refuse? Let's merge little guy!" he slammed the fist to his chest.

Mipha cusped her hands together, looking at her piece smiling fondly. "..Link, you would be okay with this right? I loved you dearly you know and I always will but.." she turned to Revali, a little blush appearing on her cheeks, "..I think it's time for me to move on, okay?" she placed the little piece to her own heart.

Urbosa sighed, eyeing her piece, "..A Gerudo with the Spirit of the Hero, hm? Who would have thought.." she chuckled, "..Fine. You can merge with me." she didn't reach out for the piece, but none the less, at her affirmation, it went into her.

Zelda smiled, taking a piece. "I don't think I would have been okay taking the whole thing, but this? I'm alright with this." she placed it to her chest.

Kass watched as a little piece fell on his concertina and he chuckled. "I could have never guessed this would happen.." he shut his eyes, humming, "Sheik.. _teacher_.. it's taken a while, but I think I'm ready to complete your unfinished song now." the piece entered him and he looked to Pan who had a piece in her own hands.

"I'm.. surprised." she croaked out, "Thought you wouldn't want to be with me.." she coughed a little and the others looked at her startled. She was losing her voice again. "After.. after.. w-what.. happened back.. t-there.." Pan staggered backwards and Kass was rushing for her.

"Pan!" She looked up at the Rito, smiling softly. "H-hey." she was croaking out desperately, reaching out for her own throat.

"Pan.. before you lose your voice, do you need to tell us anything?"

"Y-yeah.." there were tears spilling down her face, "S-sorry.. kinda.." she coughed again, "s-selfish to ask but.." she swallowed, "C-can someone.. take me.. home..?" her voice stuck in her throat. " _Lurelin_." She could feel it. Her voice was gone. She was back to how she was before she touched the Master Sword.

Kohga looked up at her startled, "Lurelin?! But that's where Dot's from! HEY! NO! WAIT!" he staggered backwards as the piece started to follow him again. Pan walked over to him, and the Yiga Clan leader looked at her.

Pan took a deep breath, then placed her piece to her own chest, smiling at him.

Kohga sighed. "Yeah.. yeah I get it. You were terrified of becoming the Hero weren't you kid? And you still took a piece of it." Kohga took the piece, "Fine. You can join with me too. I can't be the only person in this land of Hyrule without one after all." he placed it to his own chest, shivering a little then frowned, reaching up and scratching his scars a little, "..Still my mother would _hate_ this."

"Your mother..?" Urbosa looked at him, a startled look in her eyes.

Kohga glanced at her, "Iga."

Urbosa's eyes widened and then she was covering her hands with her mouth, "No! I didn't know she had any children..!" she looked at the scars, "But.. you're the footsoldier I used my lightning powers on all those years ago.. you Yiga Clan you have powerful healing magic, she should have had you healed..?!"

Kohga shrugged, "What can I say? Mother was a terrible person." She really was. And he had recontextualised her torturing him as something he had to pass onto the rest of the Clan to bring them together. He had hurt so many of them for so many years.. Kohga sighed. No wonder Dorian betrayed the Clan. Kohga had been afraid that Dorian would have been hardened too much in his blademaster training and would have forgotten their original dream, to bring the Clan together, so Kohga had sent him out into Kakariko, to see the suffering there first hand and reaffirm his heart. But instead, it had just made Dorian realise how bad the Clan truly was. That would have to change. Starting today, he would change the Clan for the better. Still a Clan of outcasts after all, taking in whoever felt they didn't belong.. but maybe, he could make the Clan like a true proper family this time. He glanced to Pan who was smiling at him. Well, he owed it to her after all.

"Hey, Pan." he gave his hand to her, "Come on, I'll take you home if you want. We can get there immediately with my teleportation, then I need to get back to my Clan.

"Pan!" Zelda called out to her, "I still have your horse, Storm, what do you want me to do with him?"

Pan pondered, then started to write in the sky, blue glowing letters.. not in ancient Sheikah, but modern Hylian. 'Do you want him? He's the descendent of the Royal White Stallion, a horse that used to belong to you.' The text shimmered before disappearing. Zelda blinked, turning back to where the horse was grazing in the grass.

"..Mine?" she frowned, crossing her arms, "I didn't know that."

Pan wrote in the sky again, 'You don't have to, if it makes you uncomfortable. In that case, can you take him to the nearby stable for me?'

"Yes, I can do that." Pan suddenly had an idea, taking the Sheikah slate from her belt and tapping it. The horse Divine Beast appeared and Zelda's eyes lit up immediately. "Oh now this? I like _this_."

Pan smiled as she wrote again. 'It can run out of fuel, but you can use pretty much anything to top it up, as the Master Cycle Zero will turn it into energy for the tank.'

Zelda's eyes were alight. "Oh.. I would _love_ to take it apart and learn how it works."

Urbosa laughed. "Little bird.. here I thought you were a completely different person, and for the most part you are, but I see your researcher's heart is still there."

Pan reached out for Kohga's hand, smiling at him and Kohga startled a second, "W-wait! I can't just show up in Lurelin like this! Hold on!" he pressed his hands together and a ton of various talismans appeared around him.. mass displacement, disguise magic and getting rid of his scars as well. A moment later he reappeared as a shorter but still chubby elderly Sheikah man, wearing traditional Sheikah clothing. "Ahaha! How do I look?" The Champions.. and especially Kass were staring at him blankly. Even Pan seemed to have a confused look on her face as she looked at him. "Wh-what?"

Kass hummed, "..It's just, without the scars, you look almost identical to Dorian. Well, if was almost fifty years older that is."

( _DAMNIT!!_ ) Kohga shrugged even as he tried not to panic internally. "Yeah.. I was never good at disguise magic, I haven't really needed to use it since I was a footsoldier, so I just based it on him, you see?"

The others seemed to nod, satisfised with the answer and Kohga sighed internally relived, turning to Pan and grabbing her shoulders, "Well, no time like the present! Let's get you home Pan!" he quickly teleported with her, back to Lurelin.

Urbosa sighed, "..I can't believe we just _trust_ him now."

Mipha giggled, "Well, you saw how he was back there with Pan. I don't know how he was back before, but he's clearly changed."

Zelda jumped onto the Master Cycle Zero, "Well, if the Yiga Clan won't be coming after me anymore, I'm gonna go explore Hyrule some more, that okay with all of you?" she didn't even wait for a response, before she activated the Divine Beast, driving off into the distance, "Okay!! See you all soon hopefully, bye!!"

"Zelda, wait the horse!" it was too late, she was long gone, seemingly heading to Eldin in the distance.

Kass chuckled, "Don't worry, I'll take the horse." he took Storm by the reins, leading the horse to the nearby stable, Riverside.

The four Champions looked at each other.. and then started to laugh. Even Revali was chuckling a little. Finally.. it was all over.

\---

Dorian sighed as he sat onto the bed in the inn.. which creaked under his blademaster weight. He used a quick mass displacement spell to return himself to his previous height and weight, before reaching out for the letter once more. Now, without his hands shaking, he used the eightfold blade to tear open the letter easily, tumbling the contents out onto the bed.

He had been right. There were many parchments in here.. no wait, many more letters. He burrowed his eyebrows a little, recognising the writing on them. He picked one up. It said Olkin and Steen, he ripped open the letter, moving to lay down on the bed and reading it.

'Hey Dorian, are you well? We were wondering why you wanted Pumpkin and Carrot seeds before you left. We hope they let you keep them back in the Clan.'

His eyes widened. What.. what _was_ this? He took another letter. Cado.

'Ever since you left, there hasn't been a day that's gone by since I haven't though of you. I was so angry at first, but I think I get it now. Kiyah came clean with us a while back that you have been providing for her, so I can't really hold it against you. Still. I worry about you every day. We know how bad the Clan is, the kind of missions they put you on. But Kass told us how you have been protecting Link, so you can't be all bad right? I hope you can come back soon. We all miss you.'

With shaking hands he pulled up another letter. Paya.

'Hello Dorian. I was only little when you left, but I remember you used to ask how I was all the time, to make sure I was okay. Just so you know, I don't hold it against you for stealing the heirloom. Everything worked out after all. And you've been protecting Link haven't you? You haven't told the rest of the Clan about her after all. I'm glad. She's very important to me. To the whole village I mean. I think Kiyah wants to adopt her.'

Dorian placed the three letters down, shaking terribly, grey eyes wide. There must have been a letter in here from every member of the village. Kiyah.. had she told them _all_ about him? Only Cado and Impa had known before he left.

He took another letter and balked at the writing. Koko. ( _NO. KIYAH YOU DIDN'T._ ) Dorian felt sick to his stomach. He didn't want to read this, but with trembling hands, he managed to open the letter.

'Hello papa. How are you? Mother doesn't know I slipped this letter in with the others.' (He let out the shaky breath he had been holding.) 'Mother is a bad liar. I figured out where you went years ago.' (Dorian winced his eyes shut.. Koko..) 'But it's okay. I know you're not a bad person papa. You must be with the Yiga Clan for a very important reason. I'm taking care of Cottla. I'm learning how to cook with mother. When you come back, I will tell you all about it.' (Dorian slumped back on the bed, tears filling his grey eyes.) 'I have a request for you. I sent the same request to Link, but with everything that's been going on, she's probably going to forget. That's fine, I don't hold it against her, she is busy after all. I want to try one of the mighty bananas that you love.' (Dorian grimaced. He only tolerated them at best. That was why he had asked for pumpkin and carrot seeds after all.) 'None of the merchants who come here to Kakariko stock them, and I really want to try one. Even if just the the one time. I hope you come back soon papa. I miss you. Love Koko.'

He pressed the letter to his chest as tears ran down his face. Calamity, if he had actually taken this letter from Kass back then, he would not have been able to control himself. He would have immediately headed home, consequences be damned. He put the letters he had read so far on the bedside table, reading each remaining one in quick succession.. smiling a little more with each and every letter and leaving Kiyah's for last.

'Hello my love. I've been thinking of what to write for a long time. Everytime I try I seem to write too much and then it won't fit in with the other letters. I've been sending some to Link too, telling her about us. I hope you don't mind that I'm telling her everything. Oh no, I'm rambling again. Let me try and make this quick. Please, no matter what, don't forget that you are a person. A flawed but wonderful person who was born into terrible circumstances, but is still even now trying to do the right thing by protecting a small child who should have never been burdened with this terrible task in front of her.' (Dorian swallowed painfully. Kiyah..) 'Even now, I still trust you. I love you Dorian and I always will. So let me ask you now, what I should have asked you back then: when you come back to the village will you do me the honour of becoming my husband? I know we talked about it before, but we were unable to find a priest to officiate. But I don't mind if it's not official, I just want to be able to call you my husband. Please take care, keep yourself safe. Yours forever and always under the light of Lover's Pond: Kiyah.'

Before he knew it, Dorian was running down into the lower room of the inn, practically almost tumbling down the stairs as he clung the letter to his chest. "KAPSON, WILL YOU MARRY ME?"

The Zora turned to him, a blank look on his face, "..What?"

"N-no w-wait I mean..!" Dorian stammered, trying to control himself, taking in several deep breaths, "Sorry, I meant.. will you officiate my wedding?"

"Oh!" Kapson smiled widely, raising his clasped hands to his mouth, "Yes, of course! Who's the lucky partner? Another Yiga Clan member? I've never officated a wedding between Yiga before." he hummed contemplatively, "..Will I have to serve mighty banana themed food?"

"No, she's a Sheikah, back in Kakariko."

"Sheikah, Yiga, there's no difference. We're all Hyruleans under Goddess Hylia's benevolence."

Dorian looked down at the letter, smiling widely. After everything, it all came back to her didn't it? Pan might have saved him from the horrible mentality he had forced himself into, but Kiyah saved him first, all those years ago. He shut his eyes. "..I first lay eyes on her at the Lover's Pond in Faron you know."

"Oh, how romantic~" Kapson gushed, "That's a good sign you know, it means your love is truly blessed. The only thing more blessed would be if you swore your love on a Silent Princess."

Dorian tilted his head a little, "..Honestly, I prefer blue nightshade." There had been a lot more of those growing around Kakariko then there had been Silent Princess, which was a very rare and endangered flower. Dorian had always tried to bring back a blue nightshade for Kiyah when he went hunting in the forest behind Kakariko.

Kapson was already pulling out parchments, "Come, let us work out wedding arrangements." Dorian just nodded, coming to sit at the desk.

\---

Kohga gasped as he reappeared with Pan right in front of Lurelin's gates. "Oh.. long distance teleportation twice in one day?" he cracked his neck, "And I need to get back to Kurasa Valley too." he sighed, cracking his back a little, "I am going to take a long nap once I get back home."

Pan smiled at him, writing blue text in the sky. 'You deserve it Master Kohga.'

"Yeah yeah.." Kohga looked at Lurelin, "Hm. This place hasn't changed a bit, even in seventy years.."

'You've been here before?'

"Yeah. Didn't I tell you? Dot's from here."

'Your medic?'

"Mmhm. I found him in Central Hyrule, early on in the age of burning fields, not long after I became Master. He had been seperated from his parents because of a guardian attack. I came back here, to see if his parents had made it back." Kohga frowned, "..But I couldn't find them. I assumed they had died. So I ended up taking him back with with me to Kurasa Valley." Kohga sighed, "Even though my mother's blademasters were _furious_. They wanted to kill him. But I refused. I wasn't going to kill a kid who hadn't done anything wrong, except apprantly being born a Hylian." Kohga looked up into the orange sky, "He was the first non Sheikah I ever brought into the Clan."

'You made him go through the purification ritual.'

Kohga winced painfully, "L-look I'm going to change that okay? I'll change all of that, there will be no more purification ritual or monster and malice stuff. We're just going to.. exist peacefully with the rest of the people of Hyrule. And maybe if someone wants to join us, an outsider who doesn't feel comfortable with their own race, they can come live with us too."

Pan nodded. 'That's good. I'm proud of you Master Kohga.'

"Ah geez.." Kohga felt an embarassed blush form on his face, "I should be saying that to you kid. You're the one who saved Hyrule. You and Zelda and the Champions.. and _Dorian_ too." he looked away sadly. He was never going to see him again was he? Kohga had burnt that bridge throughly.

The two stepped into the village and suddenly there was a voice calling for her. "LIIIIINK!!" there was an elderly Hylian heading for them.

Pan frowned and Kohga looked at her. "Ah.. excuse me?" the elderly Hylian turned to Kohga, "S-sorry, it's just.. she prefers to go by Pan now."

Rozel turned to her, "..Pan? From Pandora? Is that right?"

Pan beamed, nodding and Rozel nodded to her, "Very well then. Thank you for letting us know."

Pan raised her hand, writing the letters, 'Bye.' and Kohga smiled at her in turn, "Bye kid." as the two headed back into the village, Kohga watched them go, before turning around to leave the village.. but as he did, he found himself bumping into another person. Kohga looked down. It was a merchant with a donkey, probably from this very same village.

"Oh!" the merchant smiled widely at him, "My donkey's back is packed with top-choice merchandise, so take your time browsing the goods!"

"..Yeah?" they were in Faron after all, so maybe this merchant had some nice mighty bananas for the trip back home. He looked at the wares the merchant had. Porgies, crabs, and fruit, but no mighty bananas. Kohga sighed. Figured. Then he noticed the green prickly fruit.

"..Is that a hearty durian?"

"Yes!" the merchant beamed, "Only 60 rupees, are you interested?"

( _"So if you're not going to call him Kohga what are you going to call him? Not like it matters since we discard our names anyway." Eldah muttered tiredly. She was dropping off to sleep quickly. "Master, I would do anything for you, you know that, but if you name him after the mighty banana I might actually kill you."_

_"I have a suggestion if you would like to hear it." Dot spoke quietly, adjusting his glasses. "It's from my home region of Faron. I think it's appropiate."_

_Kohga couldn't take his eyes off the trainee. His trainee. "..What is it?"_

_Dot beamed. "Dorian. From the hearty durian. They grow all over Faron, alongside mighty bananas. You might even say they're raised alongside mighty bananas."_

_Kohga laughed. He knew that names weren't supposed to be important to a Yiga, but.. "..Dorian huh?" he reached out, poking the trainee's tiny cheek. "You like that name, Dorian?" It was a perfect name for him. The trainee turned his grey eyes back to Kohga, and the elderly man swallowed painfully. He wasn't going to break the rule.. but he wanted to. He wanted to raise this trainee so badly it hurt. He couldn't though. If he did, he was going to end up messing this trainee up. Like he messed everything up. "Medic. Please, take him from me." Before he did something stupid. Again._ )

Kohga sighed. "..Sure. I'll take one." Good thing he always kept a silver rupee on him just in case. He chucked the silver rupee to the merchant, taking one of the fruit. "Excellent! I'll give you two red rupees now."

"Nah. Keep it." Kohga waved at him as he walked back off down the path away from Lurelin, the hearty durian in his hand.

"A-are you sure sir?"

"Yeah, it's fine. Don't worry about it." Kohga pulled the Sheikah hat down over his face as he felt tears spilling down his cheeks.

( _Dorian, my son, you make sure to never come back to the Clan okay? Be happy with your family. After everything I've put you through.. you deserve it._ )

\---

Revali crossed his wings as they turned back towards their Divine Beasts. "I suppose its time to head back to our homes, hm?"

Daruk pondered contemplatively, "..What do we even _do_ now? The Calamity is gone. Possibly even for good. Even the Yiga Clan is seemingly reformed."

"We do what we can." Urbosa spoke quietly, "We protect our homes. And look after our people. We are their protectors after all."

"Remember, we're going to help rebuild Central Hyrule too." Mipha turned to the Castle. The pillars that had once glowed a sickly red were now the same Sheikah blue as their own Divine Beasts.

Mipha's eyes moved down to the Sacred Ground Ruins, and then she let out a gasp as her hands flew to her mouth, tears filling her eyes. There was a person there, with blue flames flickering around their form. The others turned to see what she was looking at and.. oh.

"Link." Mipha croaked out, and the spirit of the Hylian Champion smiled sadly at them.

"Hey."

The four Champions wandered back over to him.

"Little guy.." Daruk said, a crushed look on the Goron's face.

"Alright Daruk?" Link put his fist out and Daruk struggled with himself before raising his own fist. He didn't push it all the way, Link was a spirit after all, his own fist would have just gone through him.

"Y-yeah.. I just.. didn't think we would ever see you again."

Link laughed sadly, "Sorry.. I wanted to wait until they were all gone. I just wanted to speak with you four after all."

Revali huffed as he crossed his wings over his chest, "Figures you would only start speaking _after_ you died."

Link turned to him, "..I'm sorry Revali. I didn't get to give you that fight you wanted in the end." Link looked down at the Sacred Ground Ruins. "You wanted it here too, didn't you?"

"Tsk.." Revali looked away from him, and there were tears forming in his eyes, "D..don't worry about it Link. We can fight when I come join you there in the Spirit Realm."

Link laughed, "Yes, well.. hopefully that won't be for a long time yet."

Urbosa was frowning, "..Why didn't you wait to see Zelda? I'm sure she would have liked to meet you before you pass on."

Link let out a contemplative hum, shutting his eyes. "I don't think that would be very fair on her, Urbosa. It's not like she's ever going to remember me after all. She should live her own life, free of any of those burdens." Link stepped forwards, his blue eyes were soft as he looked at Mipha who had tears falling down her face, "..Hi Mipha."

"Link.." Mipha's hands were trembling.

Link glanced at Revali, then back to Mipha, "You and Revali make a cute couple. I would have never expected it, but I approve."

Daruk was looking back between Mipha and Revali, his dark blue eyes wide, "WHAT?! _WHEN_?!" Urbosa just sighed. "Honestly Daruk, they were actually holding hands on Medoh earlier and you never figured it out?"

Mipha shut her eyes. She had to tell him now, before he passed on. He deserved to know. "..I was going to propose to you."

Link smiled sadly, "I know. And I would have accepted."

Mipha's yellow eyes widened and she looked back at him. "Y-you.. you..?!" Revali stepped away from them, his wings tightening at his sides, tears filling his eyes once more. Mipha was staring at him stunned, "But.. I.. I thought you liked the Princess?"

"I did. But not in that way. Zelda was a dear friend of mine, and I liked her a lot but.." Link sighed guiltily, "..I just didn't want to break her heart. Not with the Calamity bearing down on us all. Not with everything she was already going through." Link's eyes shut painfully, "My heart was always yours Mipha. I loved you so much it was unbearable at times." Mipha's hands went to her mouth as she collapsed to her knees right in front of him, sobbing heavily. "I'm sorry Mipha. For putting this burden on you but.." Link looked over at Revali, noting how his wings were trembling and tears running down his face, "..I thought you deserved to know."

"..I'm sorry Link." Revali choked out, "For what I said to you that day."

Link chuckled, "Don't worry about it Revali, I know you were just trying to protect Mipha and Zelda." he smiled at the Rito, "Just.. take care of Mipha, alright? Love and cherish her. She deserves it. She deserves this happiness with you." he looked at all his friends and they all had tears in their eyes, "You all deserve to be happy and alive."

"So did _you_." Urbosa choked, covering her mouth with one hand.

Link shook his head. "If I had survived, none of you would have. And Pan would not have been born."

"Do you think.." Revali muttered quietly, "that there's a world out there were _all_ of us got to live?"

Link laughed, "I hope so. It would be nothing short of a _miracle_ for something like that to happen."

Daruk grinned, "Maybe time travel would be involved!"

Urbosa just frowned, "..Time travel?"

"Yeah! Maybe Yunobo and the others would have come back from the future to save us from being killed by the blights!"

Revali wiped his tears with one wing, but laughed despite himself, "Now that sounds utterly _asinine_ Daruk."

Daruk pouted, "You don't know! It could have happened!"

Link laughed. Daruk had broken the tension again, like he always did. Even Mipha was giggling, as she wiped her eyes.

Link looked at them. At all of his friends. "..I have to go. There's still someone I need to see before I pass on." he sighed, shutting his eyes, "..Someone I should have spent a lot more time with when I was alive, instead of focusing all my time on being a Knight." he turned his back to the Champions, raising his hand to them, "Take care, all of you. We'll see each other again someday." he smiled, "But don't come too quickly, you hear? You've all still got plenty of years ahead of you yet."

The four Champions moved together, Mipha and Revali clasping hands once more as they watched him. Link smiled at them once more.. and then disappeared into blue flames.

\---

Granté screamed for his life as he ran down the path of East Akkala Plains, the stalnox chasing him from behind. What had he even been _thinking_ coming out so late at night?! He should have just stayed in Tarrey Town and waited to retrieve those parchments he needed from the Tech Lab until the next day. The blood moons were more or less gone, the monsters were less agressive then he ever remembered being in his entire live, but stal enemies were a whole other problem.

Granté screamed again as the stalnox threw one of it's ribs at him. He wasn't a fighter! He should have at least invited Dorian to come with him, to protect him. Dorian was saving up rupees for his wedding after all, and would have gladly taken the job.. although knowing the ex Yiga, he probably would have done it for free for Granté.

"Hey! Leave him alone!"

Who was that voice?! Granté suddenly heard a sound unlike any he had heard before, roaring.. no, a _rumbling_. The half Hylian looked over his shoulder and suddenly saw something he had never seen before. It looked.. kind of like the Divine Beasts, but smaller and more horse like. And there was a person riding on top it. Granté watched stunned as the person leapt from the strange horse Divine Beast, turning in the air before bringing out a bow. Granté startled. That was a duplex bow. A Yiga weapon. Was that a Yiga Clan member then?

Time seemed to slow down as the person fired two arrows right into the stalnox's eye and the stalnox shrieked as it fell backwards onto it's legs. The person suddenly brought out a sword and.. oh. Granté recognised that sword. That was the Sword that Seals the Darkness, was it not? Definetely _not_ a Yiga Clan member then. It couldn't be Link- ah, no _Pan_ as Dorian had told him. They were much taller then she had been. And that hadn't been Pan's voice either. Granté felt stunned as he watched the person fight the massive stalnox.

Who _was_ that?

In no time at all, the stalnox had been defeated. Unlike with other enemies, who's bodies would remain unless you destroyed them completely, stal enemies would disappear almost immediately. The person stood back up, panting heavily as they put the blade back in the scabbard and the bow on their back. They then pulled down their hood..

Oh.

It was a Hylian girl.

Granté didn't know why, but his heart was thumping in his chest. She had short blonde hair, just down to her neck with little braids either side of her ears, and even though it was night time, her blue greenish eyes shone so brightly, Granté was stunned. She was.. so pretty it was _staggering_.

The girl bent down, picking up the two Hinox teeth that had dropped from the stalnox. "No guts.." she sighed, "Well I should have expected that, you don't get guts from stal enemies."

Granté looked at the odd Divine Beast that was between her and him. What _was_ that thing? It was so cool!

"A-ah, excuse me?"

The girl turned to him, "Oh, hello! Are you okay there?" She rushed over to him, reaching for his hand and Granté hadn't even realised he had fallen over. Heat was rushing to his face. Her smile was so pretty too..

Before he had known what he was doing, he moved to his knee in front of her, pulling out the Silent Princess his uncle had given him. "F-for you!" the half Sheikah stammered. "P-please, take it!"

( _Granté and Sheik had always been close, being both half Hylian half Sheikah. He visited Akkala Tech Lab many times over the years, and would always play lovely music on his concertina when he visited. One time in particular though, he had something pinned to his jacket that Granté had never seen before. A strange white five petaled flower. It still had a little bit of blue in at that point, but since then the blue had completely faded._

_"What is it uncle Sheik?" the younger Granté spoke out, and the elderly man looked at his nephew, before gently touching the flower._

_"..A Silent Princess." Sheik murmured, "A person I dearly loved gave me this flower a long time ago." the man chuckled a little sadly, "..Although I know that she never meant anything by it. The Silent Princess wasn't seen as a symbol of romance back then, that's only something that happened in the last century."_

_Granté blinked and Sheik looked at him. "I've been taking care of this flower with my magic ever since then. Granté, do you like it?"_

_"Yeah! It's really pretty!"_

_Sheik plucked the flower off his jacket. "Then, I'll give it to you. You have to promise me that you'll take care of it though. And.." the elderly man hummed, "When you find someone who you love, give it to them okay?"_

_Granté beamed as he gently took the flower. "I promise uncle!" The 'love' part was kind of weird though. He was still young after all. He had never really met anyone outside of his own immediate family after all._ )

Now, being here in front of this Hylian girl, he thought he finally understood his uncle's words. The girl's eyes lit up as she saw the flower. And there was also.. something akin to recognition in her eyes. And yet.. _not_. As if she was struggling to remember.

"What is it?" the girl asked quietly.

"A Silent Princess. It's a rare endangered flower."

"Silent.. _Princess_.." the girl murmured, she reached out for the flower, then seemed to move back, "Are you.. sure you want to give that to me if its so rare?"

"Y-yes!" Granté stammered, "You deserve it! You saved my life after all, and you're very beautiful!" Oh no.. why had he said that? He started to blush, looking away from her, but the girl giggled, and it was a soft gentle laugh that made his heart feel light and warm.

"You're very blunt aren't you?"

"S-sorry.." he stammered, "I don't know why I said that.."

"No, not at all. It's flattering."

The girl bent down to him, lowering her head slightly and Granté's hand shook. She wanted him to put it in her hair. Swallowing nervously, he stood up, taking the flower's stem and gently sliding it under the braid on her left side of her hair. Granté didn't know why, but it looked _perfect_ on her. Like it was supposed to be with her.

A goofy smile was drifting onto his face and the girl smiled at him as she moved to stand back up. "Where are you heading? I can take you there if you like."

"A-ah.. " Granté looked up to the north, "Akkala Tech Lab, it's where my father works." Granté looked at the girl once more, and found he didn't really want to go there anymore. He could get those parchments another day. "But enough about me, where are _you_ going?"

The girl hummed, "I wanted to go to Eldin. But I got lost."

"Lost?" Granté stared at her, "But Death Mountain is right there. You can see it from all over Hyrule!"

"Death Mountain?" the girl looked over at it, "So _that's_ what it's called."

Granté blinked. This girl didn't know Death Mountain? He was getting more and more curious about her with each passing second. The girl climbed onto the strange horse Divine Beast. Granté swallowed. He wanted to go with her.

"This land of Hyrule.." the girl murmured, "I want to learn so much _more_ about it."

Granté felt his hand move over his chest. Oh no, he _really_ liked this girl. "I feel the same way!"

The girl smiled widely at him, "Do you want to go on an adventure with me?"

"I.." Granté stammered, clutching his Sheikah jacket, "Y-yes.. if you'll take me.."

"Sure! You're a fellow researcher like me, aren't you? Hop on!"

Granté moved to climb on the strange Divine Beast, but stopped just short of touching her. The girl giggled. "You'll have to wrap your arms around me, or you'll fall off."

"R-right." Swallowing nervously, he did so. Oh dear, he couldn't believe he was actually doing this. Was he really throwing away his entire life, and his unofficial shop in Tarrey Town, just to go play adventure with some girl he didn't even know the name of? He looked at the duplex bow on her back.

"That duplex bow.."

"Oh." the girl scoffed, "I got it from some Yiga footsoldier who tried to ambush me near Zora's Domain." she rolled her eyes, "Tried to sell me mighty bananas. 99 rupees each! Can you believe that?"

Granté laughed. Somehow, he could.

The girl laughed as well, "Jokes on him though. He took one look at my sword and bolted. Even dropped his bow on the way. It's a cool bow, it fires two arrows at once." she smiled widely, "Hold on tight now, because the Master Cycle goes _fast_."

Granté swallowed nervously.. and started to shriek out as the girl activated the strange mini Divine Beast, the Master Cycle 'galloping' over Akkala's plains like it was nothing. This was faster then any horse he had ever been on or even shield surfing on his father's Ancient Shield! As the sun began to rise over Akkala, Granté smiled widely, the wind blowing through his blonde hair. He still didn't know who this girl was, but he was going to follow her all across Hyrule, if she let him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've got this far, I genuinely thank you for sticking with me through this weirdly indulgent fic. I've had the idea for this story bubbling in my mind for almost three years now, and the only reason I ended up writing it at all was because the Age of Calamity villain trailer came out and I was like 'oh shit there goes all my Yiga Clan headcanons'. But either way, this story was such a joy to write and I've loved every moment of it. Only the epilogue to go now~


	33. Champion's Ballad / Tarrey Town (Epilogue)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO UH one of the later scenes in this chapter gets kinda spicy but I don't think I need to raise the content rating as theres no explicit language used or even any actual scenes proper. If I'm wrong though, please let me know. Also here's your trigger warning for talking about codependent relationships.

[DAY ZERO]

A group of the pieces of light expelled from the Spirit of the Hero reached that certain settlement in Akkala. There weren't that many people here compared to the other settlements the light had reached, but like with the other settlements they reached down and started to merge with the inhabitants. No-one in Hyrule would be able to reject the Light of the Hero's Spirit as only those who had been there in Central Hyrule had known about it after all. However, that didn't mean they would fundamantelly change as a person. The light.. was just that. Light. It couldn't guide a person's will in the same way it used to with the Hero. If a person still chose to do terrible things, then they could, even with the Light of the Hero inside them (The Spirit of the Hero remembered vividly times when they would attack cuccos after all, just to see what would happen). They were not as powerful as they used to be after all. The only thing the Spirit of the Hero could do now was provide hope. Hope that maybe.. just maybe.. the curse, the karma that had dictated Hyrule's destiny for so long would relent.. and that true peace would last forever more in this damaged land.

Out of the inhabitants in Tarrey Town, the ex Yiga's spirit blazed brightly, the strongest soul here by far, and a piece moved towards him immediately. Dorian had been listening to the Zora as he explained wedding arrangements.. and costs. He winced a little at just how _expensive_ an official wedding would be. Hudson and Rhondson had been very lucky as Tarrey Town had apparantly had tons of ore in the rocks so it had been very easy to arrange a wedding for them.

However, Dorian had no such luck there. Before, when he had been with the Clan, it had been very easy for him, as one of Kohga's top blademasters, to sneak into the vault that kept the gemstones and rupees the Clan hoarded from ambushes, so he could teleport to Kakariko and leave them for Kiyah. Looking back at it now, he couldn't help but chuckle internally at the memory, honestly it was a miracle he hadn't been discovered for years. It was a good thing they never really had any kind of records detailing just how much they had at times, or maybe he would have been caught long before that. Oh well, you live with thieves long enough and you become a thief too. Even if _they_ had stolen it all first.

As the piece of the Hero's Spirit merged with him, Dorian gave a little surprised shiver. What had _that_ been? He was still listening to Kapson, but he looked down at his hands. His body felt.. warm. Hope was blooming through him. Hm. That was probably because he was healing, becoming a better person each and every day, like Pan had said back in Ruta. Dorian shook his head, returning to the conversation with the Zora priest.

The other pieces of light started to move around too, entering each and every one of the people here in Tarrey Town. However.. a piece of light stopped, when it noticed Rhondson. There was something different about her compared to all the other inhabitants of the settlement. The Light of the Hero tried to figure out what that was, and then realised. Oh, that was it. There were two spirits inside her. She was with child, likely very early with one, as she wasn't even showing at all yet. Well, they knew what to do now, and so two pieces of the light entered her, one in her chest, and one lower into her stomach, merging with hers and Hudson's child..

\---

[ONE WEEK]

Kass hummed as he tapped the ink pen to the parchment. It still had the first two lines on it from all that time ago. 'An ancient Hero, a Calamity appears, now resurrected after ten thousand years.' and now it had two new lines added 'The appointed Knight gives his life, saves Hyrule and pays the price.' It was going to take a while yet, he generally had the main idea of his teacher's song, but the hardest thing was finding rhyming words after all.

At the sound of bomb arrows being fired, Kass looked up from his home to Revali's Landing.. no, that wasn't right. They had decided a few days ago to rename it. Now it was called Champion's Landing. More informal, a landing named after all five of them. The Rito Champion had choked up when they had informed him of the name change, before controlling himself and telling them he approved of the name. The Rito Champion was on the landing right now, firing into some targets that Teba and Harth were throwing up into the air. Kass chuckled. Of course Revali could hit even flying targets, and the Rito children gasped and cheered as Revali hit every single one of them. When he was done, the Rito Champion used his power Revali's Gale to launch from the landing before landing gracefully onto the wooden barriers.

"Now then." Revali was saying to the children as he spread his wings out to them. "Who of you would like to come with me to the Flight Range so we can practice our archery together?"

"Oh oh me!" Tulin, Teba's boy raised one wing as he rushed forwards, and the other children, Molli, Harth's daughter and even his own daughters (which surprised him as none of them had seemingly been interested in archery before now) rushed to Revali's side. Revali puffed out his chest, a wing gently pressing against his blue Champion's scarf. "Very well, but you will all have to train very hard if you want to come close to me. Remember, you're not just my pupils, you're my rivals too."

"Yes sir Master Revali!" the children all cried out and Kass chuckled at the scene. Revali seemed so much happier now that he wasn't crushed by the guilt of what had happened in the castle. A certain Zora Princess' influence had helped with that too..

\---

[ONE MONTH]

In Kakariko Village, Pikango poked his tongue out of his mouth as he slashed the paintbrush down on the painting he was working on, of the Elder's home in front of him. It hadn't been that long now since those events in Central Hyrule, and peace was starting to return to this land. People seemed.. happier now. The flesh monsters were a lot less aggressive, even sometimes _docile_ as long as they weren't aggravated, with only stal monsters and of course lynels being a problem now. Supposedly blood moons too were a thing of the past. Even the _Yiga Clan_ were seemingly backing off, he had only heard of a few ambushes on travelers, and none who had ever been hurt either, even if some of them had managed to actually steal what they wanted.

There were stories already being passed around through the travelers words, as they had waited for the final blow on them.. until they realised the Yiga Clan blademaster was leaving, now that they had what they wanted. They had asked "Wait, aren't you going to kill me?" and the blademasters would just shrug, "Nah. Boss' orders. We're to live in peace with you Hyruleans now. Although we're still allowed to steal from you." and then the blademasters would laugh in that deep voice of theirs as they teleported away, leaving their ambushee very confused.. but _alive_.

Pikango sighed, crossing his arms. He had left Hyrule almost twenty years ago now to travel the world outside Hyrule's borders, but the change in this place was staggering compared to how it used to be. The Champions were alive. Hyrule's Princess was alive too, although she wasn't here in Kakariko. Apparantly she was off hopping around Hyrule with some random kid she found on the way, exploring this land together. The Sheikah painter glanced up to Hyrule Castle in the distance past the Kakariko graveyard. It was.. calm.. peaceful. That swirling malice that had existed for a century was completely gone, and now the Hyrulean army from Akkala was starting to set up camp in Hyrule Field to begin work on the rebuilding of Central Hyrule. Some of them had already set up camp in the Great Plateau, as that place only needed a little bit of work, as well as having the water that had collected at the Plateau's entrance removed.

The Sheikah painter returned to his craft, focusing on the strokes of the paintbrush when something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. A middle aged Sheikah woman was running forwards to the guard in front of the Elder's house, a letter in her hand, and a bright smile on her face, "Cado! It arrived!" the guard headed for her, a hopeful look on his face, "..Well Kiyah, don't keep me in suspense, what did he say?"

She beamed, happy tears filling her eyes, "Dorian said yes!" the other Sheikah around rushed for her, all smiling widely as they congratulated her and Pikango remained on his picture, wholly focused on it. Cado let out a relieved sigh, a small smile appearing on the Sheikah's face, "..I knew he would. So, when's he coming back then?"

Kiyah sighed, placing the letter to her chest, "Not for a while yet. He's going to work in Tarrey Town as an unofficial worker for the construction company there in order to earn enough rupees for the wedding."

"Wedding?! You didn't tell us _that_ part!" the other Sheikah all cried out excitedly and Pikango buried his head into his painting as he swallowed a little.

Kiyah beamed, "Apparantly he met a priest in that town, and he's happily agreed to officiate us."

The Elder's granddaughter practically burst into tears and they all looked at her startled. "Lady Paya?!"

"Sorry sorry.." Paya sobbed, trying to control herself, "I just.. didn't think this would ever happen. I never thought we would ever see the Calamity be destroyed, let alone everything else that's happened! The Champions.. Zelda.. _Pan_.." she blushed a little at the girl's name, raising her hands to her face, "And now Dorian's coming home too.."

Pikango just smiled as he continued to paint. After a while the Sheikah all departed, but there was still one Sheikah he noticed. A small girl sitting by the cooking pot, pondering with a bunch of ingredients on the table next to her. She was overlooking the ingredients and seemed to be wondering what to cook.

Pikango took a quick glance around, but with how happy everyone was, no-one was paying any attention to him. Abandoning the picture, he took in a shaky breath before heading over to her.

"Hey there." he spoke softly, coming to sit on the bench in front of the table, and the Sheikah girl looked up at him, "What are you making?"

The girl was still struggling, "I don't know. We always have the same kind of food here in Kakariko, vegetables mostly, maybe a little meat if we can get it by hunting. I'm bored of all of those though." the girl shut her eyes, "A friend sent us some Goron Spice a while back, and while Cottla didn't like it, I managed to make meat curry for mother and myself and while it was different and tasty, it still isn't what I was looking for." she hummed, "What I'm after is something sweet. But not honey sweet, or apple sweet. Something more.. potent I guess."

Pikango looked at the ingredients she had, noting the tabantha wheat and cane sugar in particular. "..What kind of ingredient are you looking for?"

The girl looked at him, and then looked around the village, her eyes roaming over all the villagers. She was clearly worried about this request. She turned back to him, "..Promise you won't tell? Mother would be.. upset if she knew I wanted this."

Pikango nodded, "I promise kid. I won't be staying here in Kakariko anyway, I've got places to go after all."

The girl took another quick look around the village before mumbling out quietly, "..Mighty bananas."

( _DORIAN I LOVE HER_ ) Kohga, in his disguse as the Sheikah painter, beamed at the girl. His _granddaughter_.

This disguise of Pikango was an especially good one. The Sheikah had been someone who had been born right here in Kakariko, but had wanted to join the Yiga Clan (to join the winning side he had said) and then quickly balked when the realisation of what the Clan was sunk in, abandoning both it and Hyrule all together. He had been there such a short time that Kohga hadn't even realised until long after he had left Hyrule, but they had enough data on him by then that even now he was able to use this disguise with ease. "Well." Kohga hummed, "It's a good thing I've got some then."

He pulled out the two ripe bananas, handing them over to her and her eyes lit up immediately. "How much do you want for them?"

"Nah, you don't have to pay me for them kiddo." Kohga smiled at her gently, "Just give me a little taste of what you make and that will be plenty payment for me." he tilted his head to the tabantha wheat and cane sugar. "I'll even give you a recipe for it. Mix them with those and you'll get Fried Bananas. It's one of my favourites."

The girl blinked, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah I'm positive. Make sure the pot is smoking hot first, the trick is frying them over very high heat." the girl nodded, taking the wheat and sugar, and moved over to the cooking pot, peeling the bananas and putting the fruit in the pot whole, before adding the wheat and sugar, taking the ladle near the pot and stirring the concoction. Kohga pulled two of the plates that the village left out for travelers, putting one on the girl's side and one on his. As the girl pulled the fried bananas out of the pot, splitting the two whole bananas, one each on one of their plates, Kohga couldn't help but drool a little in his disguised form. Fried banans had been one of the few joys of his very screwed up life as a trainee.

As the two began to eat, Kohga noticed the girl's happy face and it made him feel.. happy. Content. Still, he was curious. "How come you wanted to try mighty bananas anyway kid? They're not really a staple of Sheikah cuisine are they." Well, not the _modern_ Sheikah anyway. It had been a completely different story ten thousand years ago.

The girl let out a contemplative hum. "..Because of my papa I guess."

Oh. _No_. His heart fell in his chest and he tried not to look guilty as he chewed on his fried banana. This kid looked to be what.. eleven, maybe twelve at most. She must have been around six when he recalled Dorian back to the Clan from his spying mission. Of course she had figured out the truth about him. Kohga had only met her, but he could tell the girl was smart. She took after her father that way. And her grandmother he supposed.. that intelligence certainly hadn't come from _him_.

"..Yeah? Where's your papa, is he here?" Kohga muttered quietly even though he already knew..

"No, he's in Akkala right now according to mother. But he should be coming home soon." the girl smiled at him and Kohga felt even more guilty. He.. shouldn't have come here. He just wanted to see what Dorian's little family was like.. "My papa was in a very dark place for a long time, and I've missed him terribly, but I can't wait to finally see him again."

It was taking all of Kohga's self control not to break down. He hadn't even known about Dorian's family, and somehow he managed to screw them up for years too. Go figure. That was all he had ever done, his mother's words ringing in his ears.

"..Are you okay?"

He looked up in his disguised form as the Sheikah painter, and the girl's grey eyes (just like his own and Dorian's..) were soft and full of worry. "..Yeah I'm alright." Kohga smiled, trying to downplay the feelings in his heart as he moved to stand after finishing his meal, "Thanks for the food kid. You're a great cook you know?"

The girl beamed. "Thank you. My mother taught me."

Her mother.. Kohga looked up at her, sitting in front of the tree with the younger daughter. What would have happened to her if Dorian had stayed here? Knowing how he was back then, he would have been completely furious if Dorian hadn't returned from Kakariko. But even in his own fury, he would have never had his only son killed. So instead he would have probably.. Kohga shook his head vigorously. No, he wasn't that person anymore. ( _Don't think about it. You're going to leave them alone now. You just.. wanted to see what they were like. That was all._ ) He looked at the girl who was smiling at him and he couldn't help but smile back weakly in his disguise magic.

Well. It was time to leave. He needed to get back to the Valley and his Clan after all. He waved one hand at the kid as he looked over his shoulder at her one last time. "Bye kid."

"My name's Koko sir."

Kohga smiled, "..Bye Koko." And with that the elderly leader of the Yiga Clan left the village through the northern gate of the town.

\---

[TWO MONTHS]

Yunobo had his fists pressed out in front of him as he stood on top of Rudania, concentrating as hard as he possibly could. They were on the mountainous range just north of the Isle of Rabac as it was the emptiest place in all of Eldin to train, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get Rudania to move. He thought he had got it earlier, as Rudania's leg had twitched a little but he hadn't been able to repeat that motion.

Yunobo panted as he collapsed to the top of one of the closed holes of Rudania, looking back at Daruk who was watching him. "I never expected this to be so hard grandpa. I thought it would be easier for me since I have your power and all, goro."

But Daruk was grinning at him. Bludo had been right, the Goron Champion had burst into tears when Yunobo had told him of his dream to become Rudania's Pilot. "Nonsense kiddo. We just need to keep practicing, you'll get it evantually."

"Was this so hard for you?" 

"It was even _harder_." Daruk sighed, crossing his arms, as Yunobo stared at him, "Out of us four Champions I was the one struggling the most." he looked up into the sky, "When Ruta was found, it was like Mipha was able to strike a connection with it immediately. Urbosa was right there the day they found Naboris and she had already offered to become it's Pilot. And Revali.." Daruk laughed at he scratched the back of his head a little, "Well, Revali's a once in a lifetime genius. He had no problem figuring out how Medoh contolled." he grumbled a little, looking away, "..And it didn't help how he kept bragging to us all the time how Medoh is the hardest one to control since you have to keep it airborne while also using it's powers."

Yunobo just laughed, "That sounds like Master Revali alright."

Daruk suddenly pounded his fist as a memory came to him, "Oh, I know! I'll just do what the little guy did back then!"

Yunono blinked, "..Huh?" and Daruk just grinned at him as he opened the holes on Rudania's back. Yunobo's eyes widened and he yelled out loudly as he fell backwards, right into the interior area of Rudania and Daruk grinned as he jumped in after his grandchild, closing the back holes again.

"Now!" Daruk called, "Try to focus on the energy from the furnace once more Yunobo, now that you're in here."

It was dark, only lit up by the blue flames, but Yunobo nodded, concentrating once more on the furnace.. until.. _finally_.. he managed to get Rudania's leg to move.

Yunobo gasped loudly at the small success, turning to Daruk and beaming brightly, "I did it grandpa! I made Rudania move!" The Goron Champion just laughed loudly as he crossed his arms, but internally, Daruk's pride for this little pebble blazed through him.

\---

[FOUR MONTHS]

The green lizalfos was sitting right next to Pan, hissing softly as the three children sat in a circle on the beach. Kinov leaned back on his hands, "Can you say 'lizalfos' Pan?"

"Laaaahhh--zzzzzzz.." Pan, who was wearing her lobster shirt and traditional Lurelin clothing, shut her heterochromia blue and green eyes as she brushed her fingers through her white hair, concentrating hard on the word. Wait, no, that first part had been wrong.

"Liiiiihhhzzzz-aaaahlll-tthhhoosss." Zuta spoke out as he reached out, tapping the pet lizalfos that would not leave Pan alone on the head. The lizalfos let out a little hiss at the boy who was not its master touching it, but for the most part it remained as docile as it had before.

Sebasto frowned as he watched the three children just outside their home, "..I don't think I'm ever going to get used to that now." Kiana just hummed softly as she hung clothing on the washing line. "I'm pretty sure that's the same lizalfos that attacked us before this whole thing started too you know."

Sebasto sighed, "That just makes it even _weirder_." his eyes would not leave the Hylian.. no _Sheikah_ girl as she continued to try to say the word 'lizalfos'.

"Hey.." Kiana spoke quietly, placing a hand on her husband's shoulder, "come on Sebasto. Pan is still the same girl she was before she left. Kind and loving.. and unfortunately mostly mute for now but she is learning and getting better every day.." Kiana giggled a little, "And she can still chow down seafood paella like no-one in the village can."

"And what about _that_?" Sebasto turned around, jabbing his thumb at the Cape Cresia at the guardian stalker that was wandering around, the orange glow visible even from here as it patrolled the beach.

Kiana hummed, "It's watching out for us and protecting the village. According to Kass _all_ of the settlements have one now. A little 'guardian'" she giggled at the pun, "of their own to protect them just in case." the Hylian smiled, "..not like we really need one in Lurelin. With Pan here, we're as safe as we can possibly be."

Sebasto sighed, "..Yeah I suppose so." he looked at the girl fondly, "It's going to be a real shame when she leaves for Kakariko when Aryll passes."

Kiana shuddered, "Yes well, let's not think about that for now. Aryll is still with us now, hopefully she will be for as long as possible.

"Oh!" Zuta's eyes lit up, "What about 'Hero', can you say that Pan?"

Pan seemingly shuddered at the request, her arms wrapping around herself and Rozel quickly wandered over. "Now now Zuta." the elderly Hylian spoke gently, "Remember, there are certain words that are.. uncomfortable for Pan."

"Oh.. right. Sorry I forgot." Zuta placed his hand on his top knot.

Rozel leaned over at the girl, letting out a little hum, "How about.. love instead?"

Pan beamed at that, nodding. "Llluuuhhvvvv." Rozel just chuckled softly, "Well done Pan. You got it immediately that time."

Aryll was watching from afar as she put clothing on their own line at their own home. She could barely believe how much had changed over the past four months. No more blood moons (although that could always change according to Pan and Aryll would wonder what she meant by that). No more aggressive monster attacks. Even the guardians were safe now. Although.. things weren't always as peaceful as she remembered the event that had happened not a few days after Pan had first returned to the village..

( _Aryll had just been dropping off to sleep as she started to hear unfamiliar voices from outside their shuttered home. Pan was fast asleep and she moved over to the small window before her blue eyes widened in shock. There were a whole group of Yiga footsoldiers, even a couple of blademasters right in front of the door. What were they doing here? As quietly as possibly, Aryll moved to Pan's side, waking up the girl who sleepily looked at her. Aryll jabbed her thumb at the window and Pan moved to it.. before frowning at the sight._

_The girl raised her hand as she started to write in that odd blue text. 'I'm sure it's nothing, but you stay here just in case okay?' Aryll nodded, moving to sit back down on her bed and Pan grabbed the Sheikah slate, tapping it to her chest to inform Dorian of the situation, before unlocking the shutter and heading out._

_"Look!" one of the footsoldiers called out in reverance, "There she is!"_

_The Yiga Clan members all then bent down to their knees in front of the girl who frowned, raising a hand into the air to write out text. 'What do you want? It's late at night and we're trying to sleep.'_

_One of the blademasters raised his head to her, "We've broken free of the Yiga Clan and decided to make our own branch! We're here to serve you oh Great Calamity!"_

_"No. No you're not." a voice called out and the Yiga Clan members turned to see Dorian, in his full undisguised blademaster form, but wearing traditional Hylian garb (larger then usual as it had been made specifically for him) instead of his blademaster uniform, glaring annoyed at them as he approached the group, having teleported immediately from Akkala to get here the moment he had heard her call for him._

_One of the blademasters let out a growl. "What is that traitor doing here?"_

_Dorian moved to Pan's side, protecting her before turning to the first footsoldier who had spoken. "Bant, I know that's you." he muttered and the footsoldier jolted, looking up at him. "I don't think your 'leader'" he spat the word and scoffed a little, "is going to very happy that you're here disrupting Lurelin's peace like this."_

_The blademaster growled as he moved to stand, "Don't give me that nonsense Dorian. It's even more boring now in the Clan then it was before, we don't even kill people anymore."_

_Dorian scoffed as Pan reached for his hand and the ex Yiga comfortingly grasped it in his own hand, "Then Kohga has actually done something good for once in his miserable life."_

_The footsoldier was shuffling forwards on his knees towards Pan and the girl balked backwards as her hand tightened in Dorian's own hand, "..Please, just let us worship you Great Calamity? Like we used to.. we can even stay here in Faron if you want and protect your vessel's village."_

_"She's not a vessel!" Dorian snapped angrily, "She's just a child!"_

_Pan looked out at the other huts, noting how the villagers were looking out at them now and she swallowed nervously. She raised her hand as she wrote text. 'Please, just go away. I don't want to be worshipped like some false God or a Hero. I just want to live peacefully here.'_

_Dorian nodded, "You heard her. Leave. Or I will make you leave."_

_"Oh yeah? And how are you going to do that?" the blademaster cocked his head at Dorian, "There are much more of us then there are of you."_

_"Did you forget what I was before I left?" Dorian growled lowly and he raised one finger, making a barrier appear between them and the Yiga Clan members were forced backwards by it._

_"You're disgusting." the blademaster growled at him, "Not wearing your mask, not even wearing your uniform.. and to think you were going to be our leader. I can't believe Kohga is letting you live for everything you've done to the Clan. But then again he was warped too wasn't he?"_

_Dorian's eyes narrowed. He hadn't heard much of what happened with Kohga back in Central Hyrule, he knew the elderly leader had changed thanks to Pan's influence, but even so that didn't erase everything he had done to the Clan in the last century. That mental poisoning was affecting the Clan even now, with the group in front of him. Maybe it was hypocritical of him not to forgive Kohga considering he had been forgiven but.. Dorian could not allow himself to go back to that mentality when he was a child. He could not allow himself to forgive Kohga, even now. And.. somehow, Dorian had a sneaking suspicion that Kohga didn't want to be forgiven. Which made things all the more easier for him._

_It had been a terse situation, but finally the Yiga members had left, even as he felt their resentment to him. But before they did.. "Bant." Dorian spoke maybe a bit too softly, and the footsoldier turned to face him, still wearing his mask. "..Please, you don't have to stay with the Clan. I can speak to Kakariko for you, they would allow you to come stay there if you want."_

_Bant crossed his arms, shivering, "..I can't Dorian. I just.. can't okay? I'm not as strong as you." And then just like that they had gone. Dorian had stayed with the family all night, while they slept, protecting them outside, and in the morning they had decided to continue their Sheikah magic training before Dorian headed back to Akkala._ )

Aryll sighed, looking up into the sky as she thought of her elder brother, "Is this what you wanted Link?" she touched her own chest, where the Light of the Hero had penetrated her all those months ago. Even now, she still remembered that fateful night. The exact night when Pan had returned. The girl had fallen asleep almost immediately, slept the entire rest of the day and night too and Aryll had decided to go check on the Goddess Statue in the evening when everyone else had gone back to their own homes. That was when he had appeared to her, shimmering in that blue flame spirit form. Aryll smiled sadly at the memory. Pan hadn't had time to explain anything yet, so for a moment Aryll had no idea what she was looking at. But she recognised the form as her elder brother, exactly as she remembered him, and for a moment she had believed..

But then Link had explained everything to her. What had happened to him in the castle and what had happened to Pan. And Aryll.. had been sadened of course. But she had accepted it long ago, what had probably happened to her elder brother.

( _Aryll had tears running down her face. "At least I got to see you one last time. I never thought I would even get that."_

_Link smiled sadly at her, "I'm sorry little sister. I should have spent more time with you. I should have spent more time with the whole family."_

_Aryll shook her head, "No.. you had an important job to do didn't you? You saved us big brother Link. I would not be alive if it weren't for you. My son, and my granddaughter too would have never existed."_

_"Do you prefer that?" Link asked quietly._

_Aryll sighed sadly, "I would have prefered everyone to live, including you. But this is what we've been left with, and so this is what we have to make do with."_

_Link hummed, "I'm going to wait for you, you know."_

_She blinked. "..What?"_

_"I feel it's only fair to you after everything you've been through. My King has already passed on to the Spirit Realm, but I will wait here in Hyrule for you, watching over you and Pan, just like I always have." he smiled sadly, "And then, you and I can go to the Spirit Realm together."_

_"..But you don't know how long that's going to be." Aryll pressed her hands to her chest, a sad feeling erupting through her, "Not like I want to pass on myself. I want to stay here with Pan as long as possible of course, but.." she swallowed, "Don't you want to move on big brother? Don't you want to be reunited with our parents?"_

_He just hummed again, "I've already been waiting for a hundred years Aryll, what's a few more years compared to that?" he looked over his shoulder at her, "..Look after Pan alright? And don't come too quickly, you stay with her for as long as possible. I'll be watching over you, and.. I love you baby sister."_

_And then he was gone, disappeared into blue flames._ )

Watching Pan from a distance as she continued to try to learn how to speak again, Aryll just hoped she would be okay once too she was gone from this land. She had already spoken to Dorian after all (the same Sheikah who had come here all those months ago) and had given him her blessing to take Pan to Kakariko after she passed. There was a whole family there waiting for her to take her in, so that Pan wouldn't be alone. And.. Aryll noticed the blushes on Pan's face when she got letters from that Sheikah girl Paya in Kakariko, as well as the Gerudo girl Riju in Gerudo Town. Pan was loved by so many people now.. she hoped that would be enough, and that Pan would continue to be loved for the rest of her life.

That girl really did deserve the entire world. For everything she had been put through. For everything she had done for their land of Hyrule. But.. Aryll would have said the same thing for her even if she _hadn't_ done all that. She was still the same girl as she was all those months ago after all.

\---

[SIX MONTHS]

In Torin Wetland, not too far from Tarrey Town, there was a sound of blades crashing against each other. Dorian grinned wildly as he moved, teleporting around the area as Pan followed him, her eightfold blade and his edge of duality sparking against each other as their teleportation got more frantic and wild, talismans appearing and reappearing around them constantly. The two Sheikah's eyes didn't glow orange and blue anymore (the colours of deactivated and activated shrines.. go figure) when they used their powers, as those had been connected to the monks, and Pan's eye colour in particular had also been connected to her uncle, but nonetheless the two were still as powerful as they had always been. Maybe even _more_ so, since they were training against each other now, keeping their skills sharp. He could feel the overlookers watching from afar, not just in Tarrey Town above them, but the soldiers at Akkala Citadel to the west, and even further at the stable and they were all cheering for them.

"GO PAN GO!" The Hyrulean soldier Nell was yelling from above at Akkala Citadel.

"GO DORIAN!" Robbie yelled next to him, "SHOW THIS NEW SHEIKAH THAT WE OLD TIMERS STILL HAVE FIGHT IN US YET!"

Dorian pulled backwards, raising his hand and shot off a blue barrier right at her, but the girl grinned, raising her hand as water started to move from Akkala Lake, freezing into tendrils and breaking through the barrier. Pan then raised her hand, talismans appearing as one of the smaller metal balls appeared. ( _Damn, that monk was right. She is a fast learner._ ) Dorian stepped back raising his free hand as he used magnesis, trying to pull it from her grip but Pan just grinned wider. With her free hand, she moved the hilt of the eightfold blade into her mouth to free up the hand, and then raised her now free hand, more talismans appearing as she summoned a second metal ball.

Dorian dropped the magnesis and then he moved his fist to manipulate the ground beneath him, sending out a a blade of air towards the other Sheikah. This was a technique that all blademasters were trained to use, but Dorian hadn't really used it all since Kohga had started officially training him. Every other rune magic he had learned was just that much better after all. Still, the earth manipulation magic could come in handy at times and in front of him, Dorian heard Pan gasp out, and then she was throwing the two metal balls at him, while he aimed the earth magic at her.

They were going to hit at the same time, but both quickly teleported again into the center of the area they were fighting in again, Pan's summoned metal balls hitting the area where Dorian had been previously harmlessly, and Dorian's earth magic making a stone pillar which didn't hit its mark. Again, their two blades started to spark and crash against each other, but before he knew it, Pan was teleporting around him even quicker then he could keep up as he tried to move his edge of duality against the constantly teleporting Sheikah.

He had trained her well over the past couple of months. Back after the Calamity was defeated, all the shrines that had previously been in Hyrule had disappeared, seemingly returning to the ground beneath them, so Pan couldn't teleport either herself or others anymore (although she was still able to store and move the Divine Beasts since their own teleport worked on a different system). As such, mastering the basic teleport had become their first priority.

So early on the two of them trained, not even physically training, but meditating while trying to connect to the energy that lay under Hyrule. And Pan had taken to it _quickly_. Far more quickly that even he himself had. But he supposed that was like second nature to her, as she had spent her entire journey connecting to the furnaces and other's spirits..

Dorian stumbled backwards as her teleports got even faster. He could barely sense where she was going to go next. Torin Wetland was great for this training, since there were so many trees here. He shut his eyes, focusing on the energy under the ground. ( _"Where are you little Pandora? You can't teleport forever even with your seemingly limitless energy, you'll have to attack sooner or later."_ | _":P"_ | _"How are you even doing that?!"_ | Despite him trying to focus on the sparring, Dorian chuckled. He really loved this kid.)

He sensed a sudden movement behind him, and quickly turned on his feet but then he felt her levitating behind him as she moved the eightfold blade, aiming it to his throat. It was over. He just laughed as he dropped the edge of duality in surrender and then she teleported one final time in front of him, before stepping back and placing the tiny blade back in its scabbard, and pressing one fist to to her palm as she bowed to him. Dorian smiled at her, doing the same pose, bowing to her too. Above them Robbie groaned loudly as he passed over a gold rupee to the Hylian and Nell, who was grinning widely, took it in victory.

( _"You're getting too good at this Pan."_ | Dorian sighed as he slumped back to on his back, looking at Akkala's blue clouds overhead. | _"Well it's only because I have a good teacher Master Dorian."_ | Pan came to lay on the wetlands next to him and Dorian chuckled, shutting his eyes. | _"It's funny, back when I was with the Yiga Clan I hated that title, but.. if it's coming from you I don't really mind."_ | _"Then what about 'father' instead?"_ | Dorian's eyes widened as he could feel the heat rising in his cheeks, turning to stare at her. Oh no, he could even feel tears filling his eyes. | _"..What about your own father?"_ | Pan hummed. | _"I can have two fathers if I want. I have two girlfriends after all."_ | Dorian felt a protective feeling flare inside him at her 'words'. | _"No, no dating! You're only thirteen and a half years old! And besides, Lady Paya is too old for you. She will be seventeen soon."_ | _"Relax old man, we all spoke about this and we're not going to make it official until all three of us are of age."_ | Pan let out an internal chuckle. | _"Calamity, if you're like this with me now how are you going to be when Koko and Cottla are older?"_ )

Dorian groaned as he put his hands over his face. It hadn't been that long since he had first returned to Kakariko. He had been dreading it for ages, unsure of how Cottla would react to him since she had never met him before, and while she had been nervous at first, hiding behind Kiyah's legs, the moment Kiyah had introduced him as her father, Cottla had latched onto him immediately. It was like he had never been gone in the first place, as the girl excitedly climbed his back and asked questions about him.. and not the kind of questions he had expected like 'Where have you been?' and 'Why are you so much taller then us?' but more simpler things like 'Can we play tag together?' 'What's your favourite food?' and 'I hope you're as good as telling stories as mama is.'

Then he had seen Koko coming up behind Kiyah and his heart had _melted_. He had been watching over the girls for years now, whenever he got the chance, but it was completely different, actually getting to be back here, getting to be with them again and them actually knowing he was there.

Dorian had never thought he would be back here again in Kakariko. He was so determined to destroy the Yiga Clan completely, even if it completely destroyed him. To save his family, to save the village, to save Hyrule itself from their evil.. it had been his mantra for so long, that even now he would wake up in Tarrey Town and believe himself to be back in Kurasa Valley, ready to go on another mission, or training with Kohga, or watching the light fade from the childrens eyes as they had that sickening brainwashing put in their minds over and over again.. but then he would feel the soft bed under his body (compared to how uncomfortable their beds were in the hideout) and the memories would return.. and he remembered he was safe. He was becoming a better person each and every day. And while he would never be able to apologise to the people he had hurt, the _lives_ he had taken as a blademaster, even if it had been for what he believed was a noble yet terrible goal, the only thing he could keep doing was to move forward. To keep being a better person every day.

He was actually doing it. He would help the inhabitants not only in the town, but also around Akkala in general. Dorian was actually kinda of messing up his own goals because he kept taking jobs for free, when he should have been charging to save up for the wedding but.. all the people of Akkala seemed to genuinely adore him for it. And they were giving him little tips here and there for his services anyway, likely because word had gotten around that he was saving up for his wedding after all, probably thanks to the Son employees. He sighed at that. He was so grateful to them. And the representives too. They had all accepted him despite what he was, what he had done. Looking over at Pan, his grey eyes softened. And her too. And Kiyah.. Dorian moved to sit up.

( _"Well, are we ready to go again?"_ | _"Sure, I've got plenty of time for another round with you before I need to head back to Lurelin."_ | She frowned. | _"I'm.. worried though. The lizalfos get kinda.. agitated the longer I'm gone."_ | Pan sighed. | _"I don't know what's going to happen to the village when I move in with you and Kiyah permanently."_ | Dorian hummed. | _"That's why you've got your little guardian isn't it? It can protect the village in your absence."_ | Pan frowned even more, her hands twisting in her lap. | _"How ironic. The very same guardian stalker that killed my parents is now going to protect my home village."_ | Dorian swallowed painfully. | _"You shouldn't think like that Pan. It wasn't the guardian itself. It was the Calamity.. no, the curse."_ | Dorian suddenly wondered something. | _"Hey Pan.. where did your village's guardian come from anyway?"_ | _"Komo Shoreline."_ | Dorian's eyes widened. No. What a sickening cruel twist of fate.. Pan was chuckling sadly though. | _"Yeah, it's ironic isn't it? How the very same guardian that took my parents away from me, brought you and Kiyah together in the first place."_ )

Dorian was trembling heavily, his hands over his face. If he had only completely managed to completely destroy the guardian back then then maybe Pan's parents..

( _"Hey no. Don't think like that Dorian. We can't change the past. The only thing we can do is keep moving forwards. You and me, together. With Kiyah, Koko and Cottla too of course."_ | She smiled at him and Dorian smiled weakly back at her, nodding. | _"..Right."_ )

\---

[EIGHT MONTHS]

The elderly Gerudo Shabonne was howling loudly at the Gerudo Chief and the Gerudo Champion, "No! You can't both take on our Sand-Seal Racing Champion Tali. You both completely outclass her."

Urbosa hummed as she crossed her arms, "We don't want to challenge the Champion Shabonne, we just want to use the racing course for our own little race."

Riju beamed widely and Urbosa glanced at the girl out of the corner of her eye (when she smiled like that she was the spitting image of her grandmother..), "That's right. I've got a gold rupee riding on whether I can break Lady Urbosa's old record from a century ago."

The usually quiet Tali tapped a hand to Shabonne's shoulder to calm her coach. "..That's fine with me. Go ahead Lady Urbosa and Lady Riju."

A few moments later, the two Gerudo were flying over the sands as the winds of Gerudo desert tore around them, Riju on her beloved sand seal Patricia, and Urbosa on a sand seal she was personally training at the moment. Despite the fact that Urbosa had only been training this sand seal for a few months now, they were just as good as Riju and Patricia was and Riju was struggling to keep up as they followed the races' course, going under the various bones that littered the desert as they surfed towards the finishing goal.

As the two went flying over the sands near Palu Wasteland, Riju looked over to her east where the tops of the Seven Heroines statues were barely visible.

"Riju!" Urbosa called for her, and Riju's eyes widened as she looked back to Urbosa who was now much further ahead of her, "You're getting distracted again. Focus on the race!"

"Yes, sorry Lady Urbosa!" her hands tightened on Patricia's reins as she tried to make the sand seal go faster.

"I keep telling you, you don't have to call me that, Urbosa will do just fine."

Riju swallowed. Maybe one day.. but not now. She looked at the finishing line in front of them, where those three monster camps had been before that were still destroyed and knew it was over. She had lost this race. Urbosa was just too good. Still, she couldn't just give up even though she had lost the race, and so she and Patricia charged forwards, following Urbosa through the finish line, stopping just in front of the East Barrens.

Riju sighed, honestly a little frustrated as she climbed off the Gerudo Shield, coming to sit down near Patricia as Urbosa glanced back at the younger Gerudo, a smile on her face. "You're getting better everytime Riju."

"..Mmhm." Riju wrapped her arms around her knees as she looked out into East Barrens. She was happy Urbosa was alive, of course, she would never say or even _think_ otherwise, but she couldn't deny that having her here all the time made Riju's own inadequacies even worse. Urbosa was just so much better then her in every concievable way. As a fighter, as a sand seal racer. She would be a much better Chief too..

"Riju." Urbosa spoke softly, as the Champion came to sit by her. "I know exactly what's going through your mind right now, and I _wish_ you wouldn't compare your progress to mine."

Riju sighed as she shut her eyes, "It's so hard though Lady Urbosa." the young Gerudo Chief looked down at her own petite hands, "Every day Yunobo is becoming more and more like Lord Daruk. He's even learning how to Pilot Rudania. And Prince Sidon and Princess Mipha are so much alike anyway since the two of them are siblings. They even use tridents that look exactly the same. The only one who isn't like their respective Champion is Teba, and that's only because the two of them are so different in personality. But even then, Teba and Master Revali are training every day, Teba is getting just as good as Master Revali and I.." Riju balled her hands into fists, "Sometimes I wonder if there's anything linking us at all, apart from our blood. We're just so different you and I."

Urbosa sighed, reaching out with one arms, wrapping it around Riju's shoulders as she gently moved the girl to lean on her own shoulder. She didn't need to look to know that tears were filling up Riju's eyes.

"Sometimes.." Riju muttered quietly, "I just wonder if it would be better for our people if _you_ retook the Chief position."

Urbosa looked at her, a startled look in the Champion's green eyes, "..What? No, I'm not doing that. _You're_ the Chief, not me."

"But if that hadn't happened one hundred years ago.."

"Nothing would change Riju. Even if the Calamity hadn't attacked, I would be long gone by now and you would _still_ be Chief."

Riju blinked, "..But wouldn't it your _own_ granddaughter who was the Chief instead?"

"My own--?!" Urbosa looked at her great niece startled, and then clasped her hands together, placing them near her mouth, "..Riju. How much do you actually _know_ about me?"

"Uhh.." Riju pondered for a moment, "I like to think I know a lot about you, why?"

Urbosa let out a sharp laugh, "Clearly not enough. I wasn't going to have a vehvi back then, and I'm certainly not going to have a vehvi now."

"..What?" Riju's eyes widened, "Why? I thought you didn't have a vehvi because of how busy your were back then with your Pilot and Chief roles, but now things are completely different, you could totally find a nice voe and settle down somewhere and have a vehvi.."

Urbosa threw back her head, laughing loudly and the Riju was stunned by just how jovial she sounded, "Riju. I like _vai_."

Oh. _OH_.

Riju felt an embarassed blush raise in her cheeks and then she was started to laugh herself as she placed her face in her hands.

Urbosa looked at the girl out of the corner of her eye, "See Riju? There's more in common about us then you would like to think."

Riju just continued to laugh, thinking of Pan and Paya, "..Yeah, I guess there is."

\---

[NINE MONTHS]

Dorian could barely believe his eyes as he stared stunned at the glowing blood moon over Tarrey Town. It had been the first proper blood moon in almost ten months (the 'blood sun' event hadn't counted after all) and he didn't know what to think of it. But even now, he was ready, standing at the front of Tarrey Town, ready to fire a protective barrier if need be. But he couldn't see any monsters coming over the bridge and it was.. all very confusing.

( _"Pan?"_ | He called out to the girl through their connection. There was a large pause of silence until finally.. | _"..Yeah?"_ | _"Sorry, you're the closest thing to an expert we have about this, what do you think?"_ | The girl paused even longer then last time. | _"..How's Rhondson?"_ )

Dorian blinked. Rhondson..? He turned to their home in the distance and could hear the screams.

( _"She's still in labour."_ | The girl let out an internal sigh. It seems she had been expecting this. Dorian continued. | _"How's Lurelin?"_ | _"All shuttered up. I'm.. not with them though."_ | She said that part almost hesitantly and Dorian's eyes widened in panic for the girl. | _"What?! Where are you?"_ | _"..Eventide."_ | Dorian spluttered. | _"Did you teleport there? Are you safe? What are you even doing there?"_ | _"I'm.. fine. I'm not in any danger."_ | Oh. Right. She wouldn't be. | _"I just need to scream at the moon a little."_ | She let out a sad little laugh. | _"It.. helps. So I don't bottle the feelings and memories inside myself."_ | She hummed a little. | _"I think.."_ | Pan spoke out hesitantly. | _"I think this blood moon is mostly for show."_ | She hesitated again, the longest pause so far before.. | _"Look I need to go, but keep me informed about Rhondson okay?"_ )

The connection between them was forcibly cut and Dorian winced at the abrupt cut off. He moved to sit down right in front of the Goddess Statue, alternating between watching over the bridge and looking over at Hudson's home. The labour went on for a few hours still until finally.. at the very peak of the blood moon, when Hyrule was covered in those wispy particles.. he heard it, the baby's cry.

Not long after, when the moon had returned to it's usual grey colour (thankfully Pan had been right, it had just been a false alarm as the town hadn't been attacked the entire night) Hudson came out of their home. "It's a boy! We have a son!"

A.. boy? Dorian blinked, "What, a Hylian?" he had never heard of a Hylian and a Gerudo having a Hylian child in his entire life.

"No! Gerudo!"

Dorian staggered. A Gerudo.. voe? A Gerudo voe that was actually _born_ as a voe? Was that even a thing? In all of the history books of Kohga's he had read, there hadn't been much about Gerudo history, but then again it's not like even _he_ had been able to decipher the entire catalogue of books and parchments. There had been so many of them after all.. and the translations had been so complicated. No wonder the Yiga Clan had misinterpreted their teachings over and over again. Next to them Kapson let out a hum, "So, what name did you pick?"

Hudson beamed, "Ganson! What do you think?"

Dorian sighed as he ran his fingers through his undyed white hair. It seemed there were still things about this land of Hyrule he was yet to learn. Maybe he would never know everything but.. the only thing they could do was keep going forwards, right?

\---

[TWO YEARS]

Revali looked up at the completed statue in the middle of Zora's Domain. It was of Sidon and Mipha back to back, raising their tridents together. The Rito reached out and gently touched the new plaque under the statue. 'In honour of all our Heroes: may peace and hope last forevermore in our beloved land of Hyrule.'

"It's not too much is it?" Sidon muttered quietly as he approached his sister's lover from the back, and Revali looked over his shoulder at the growing taller by the year Zora Prince, "No not at all."

Sidon sighed as he crossed his arms, "We tried to make one of all of you, the five Champions, but it ended up being too big. It wouldn't fit in the plaza."

The Rito hummed as he shut his eyes, "That's fine. We have Champion's Landing as a monument to the five of us. This one can be of you two. I think it's rather fitting, since it wasn't until Mipha was saved, that hope started to return to Hyrule."

"That's right!" Revali choked out as the Zora Prince slapped his back, making the much lighter Rito stagger forwards a little. "Back then, we Zora was so miserable. And not just us either, all the races, believing that their entire hope had been lost. None more so then the Sheikah.." Sidon sighed as he crossed his arms, "And me too I suppose. I was so lost in my own grief that I created an entire alternate personality of myself, trying to spread hope and happiness to my people. But I wasn't making myself happy by doing that."

"I understand." Revali said almost a bit too softly. ( _Open, honest._ Mipha's words repeated to him in his mind.) "I may have gone down a different path then that, but I pushed myself into being the Champion this land needed even though it was destroying me."

It had all started that month. The day Mipha and Daruk had come to see him. He had been so wrapped up in his own overpowering guilt and.. what he had told them hadn't helped. It had been something no-one knew about their relationship, but it had actually started that day in the inn.

Daruk had left in tears, and the next thing he had known was Mipha all over him. Despite being exhausted, he had completely surrendered to her and.. well, it was a good thing the inn had been empty that day as Revali somehow managed to shut the inn's shutter that very rarely went used.

It hadn't helped at all. The month that followed had been the most miserable of his entire _life_ , barely taking care of himself, Teba being forced to bring him food, barely sleeping. All he had in his mind that entire time was two thoughts: 'I want to destroy the Great Calamity' and 'I want to see Mipha again' (even though he had still _still_ felt guilty about Zelda. _Why? It's not like we were together.. I'm not cheating on her_ ). It had been dangerous and unhealthy and he knew deep down they were forming a codependent relationship, but she had seemed all too happy to join him in that madness.

They had barely managed to hold it together in the days that followed, the Great Plateau, Kakariko (and everything they had learned) and then with everything that had happened at the final battle, it had somehow gotten _worse_. The Calamity was gone, but she was still there. How he had managed those early weeks he would never know. He barely remembered a thing about them as he taught the children and trained with Teba, just waiting for her to come see him again. And she always did. They had found an empty cabin not too far from the Flight Range and lost themselves over and over again, in her grief and his guilt, in memories of her lost relationship and his relationship that had never happened in the first place and now never would. It had been stupid and unhealthy and there had been so many tears when they had forced themselves to part to help with the rebuilding.

It had all built and built to a point, where one year into their relationship he had told her: "Run away with me Mipha." she had stared at him stunned as he continued, "We can forget all of this, our Pilot duties, our settlements. We can just.. leave together."

That had been the final breaking point and the next thing he knew, she had slapped him. He recoiled in shock. ( _Of course she would react that way_ he told himself guiltily _I just asked her to abandon her family.._ ) But.. instead she had replied with. "That would make you _miserable_ Revali. You love being Medoh's Pilot. And you would be wracked with boredom without Teba and the others to train with." She had been right, but the next thing she had said almost killed him. "I.. I think we need to seperate."

"No! _No_!" he couldn't bear a life without her.

Mipha's small red hand found his face and he melted into her touch. "Not forever. Just for a little while. To be honest, I've played just as big a role in this as you have Revali, I was the one who started this after all, and it's been on my mind for a while." he could see the pain in her eyes, "Six months, okay? Six months where we part and fully reconnect with our duties and our villages and just become better healthier people." she shut her eyes, "And.. if we still feel the same way after that, then.. I'm going to make you a Zora tunic."

Oh. She was _proposing_ to him. So Revali had agreed. But the next six months.. the early days had been the _worst_. He would find himself in that cabin all the time, his wings running over himself with his thoughts only of her. But evantually, he had pulled himself out it. Teba would never let him stay in that mindset for too long after all, being the only other being in either of their tribes who knew how bad it had been between them. And so, he had pulled himself out of the fog that had been holding him over for over a year. Becoming a healthier, better, open person more and more. And he was still at least on the outside, a haughty Rito Champion who loved to spar and train with others. But he could be _both_ of those people, if he wanted.

By the end of the six months he barely thought of her at all. And so they finally reunited, on the rebuilt Sacred Grounds (distantly he remembered this was the place he and Link were going to fight on, but it had been long since he had thought about Link or Zelda having chosen to let both of them go). For a moment he had been scared, what if he _had_ fallen out of love with her.. but then he saw her again, and he knew she had been right. This seperation had been good for both of them. He was still in love with Mipha, his fellow Pilot, but now it was a much healthier love between them. A love where they didn't have to be together all the time, to know that they loved each other. That _they_ were loved.

And now, here he was six months later again. And he heard himself speaking to Sidon the words he had never thought he would say to _anyone_. "I was in love with her, you know." Sidon looked at him, a confused look in his eyes. "Princess Zelda." ( _Princess_ Zelda. He reminded himself. Not Zelda the girl who _wasn't_ a Princess, and was now travelling around with Granté. That was a completely different person of course.) Sidon just smiled sadly at him. "Yeah. We all kinda knew that Revali."

..Hm. Yes, he had made it pretty obvious hadn't he?

The two heard footsteps approaching them and they turned to see Mipha walking down the stairs. And in her hands.. Revali swallowed. That was it wasn't it? The tunic she had made especially for _him_. A brand new one. During the six months they had been apart, Mipha had finally let go of the one she had made for Link, dropping it over Great Zora Bridge and watching it flow down Ruto Lake until finally it had disappeared from her sight. But it hadn't been until they came together again, that she had allowed herself to start making the new one.

Revali stepped towards her and Sidon bowed as he left, hurriedly making sure the rest of the Zora would leave the two alone. Mipha took a deep breath, then began to speak as she passed over the tunic. Revali took it, noting how heavier it seemed then Link's. "Zora armour for my beloved, made with my own scales.. and _Rito_ feathers." (Revali jolted. Those extra words weren't part of the ceremony, but.. now it made sense why it was heavier then usual.) "A miracle passed down through Zora Princesses of old and a symbol of my love for you. Do you accept my proposal, Revali, now and forevermore?"

Revali swallowed as he stepped towards her. Zora marriage traditions usually required a priest, but for the Zora Royal Family.. "I do. I, Revali of the Rito, accept this proposal and your love. You and I, in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, shall forge a new path, a new destiny, together." he couldn't help but add, "..An open, honest, _healthy_ relationship for us both as we continue to heal."

There were tears in Mipha's eyes and she leaned forwards, pressing their foreheads together. "I love you, Revali of the Rito."

"And I love you, Mipha of the Zora." And with that, their bond fully recognised in Zora's Domain, Mipha and Revali were officially _married_.

\---

[THREE YEARS]

Zelda was laughing as she and Granté went tumbling down Sahasra Slope, just north of Kakariko Village and Granté just went tumbling down with her, the two of them falling down among the flowers that were growing there. Granté looked up at the clouds in the sky. It had been a whirlwind of an adventure they had gone on in the past three years, exploring seemingly every nook and cranny of Hyrule they could find.

First they had started where Zelda had wanted to start, Death Mountain and they had bought a ton of fireproof elixirs for the journey from the stable before continuing northwards. Granté had been terrified for both his and Zelda's life as they climbed the entirety of the mountain, just to look at the center of the volcano in it.

Then they had headed west to the Lost Woods and it had taken them a couple of attempts to figure out the strange wispy patterns and how to get through it, but they evantually had. ("Shalaka! Finally you're here!" the strange oversized Korok Hetsu had called to them as they had approached the Great Deku Tree.) Zelda had seemingly wanted to return the Master Sword, but the Great Deku Tree had told her to keep it. That it felt right that it belonged with her now. And Granté hadn't understood why, but Zelda had been so happy hearing that from the sentient tree and so he was happy too for her.

They had continued south on the Master Cycle, seeing the construction of Castle Town going well. They had repaired the entire outer wall by then and were slowly then beginning work on repairing the actual castle itself although Granté wondered who was actually going to live there now since the Royal Family was gone and Zelda had no intention of going back to her Princess life.

Then they had continued west through the Breach of Demise and north to the Royal Ancient Lab Ruins, which was no longer ruins anymore now that the construction was going well. It would be good enough soon for Purah and Robbie to move back to it and continue their research. And Granté had noticed the annoyed glares some of the soldiers had given him as he and Zelda had left the place, hand in hand.. ( _They don't think I'm worthy enough for the Princess.. I'm not a Knight or a Royal Guard after all.._ )

Then there had been the Forgotten Temple, but they hadn't stayed there long. There was a huge Goddess Statue right at the end of it and just being there seemed to make Zelda uncomfortable, so they had made quick notes about the place and prompty left.

Just north of that place, they had also discovered one of the three Zonai Lomei labyrinths, and just how odd and mysterious they were. They had been easy to traverse without the walls of malice that had once been inside them, and they had discovered the strange armour inside while Zelda touched the strange spiral patterns on the rock.

After that there was Satori Mountain and he still remembered the awe of the beautiful blue glowing horse with its strange four eyes and Zelda hurriedly writing in her notebook how similiar it was to the strange blupees that covered Hyrule. And then she had tried to mount the strange horse, all while Granté just cowered in the back, watching her just growing more in love with her every day they spent together.

Then they had headed south all the way to Kurasa Valley and he remembered the stunned expressions eminating from the the Yiga members when the two had shown up, but the reformed Master had been all too happy to give them a tour of their hideout, all while asking very strange personal questions about Granté (and also his father) and what it was like living in Akkala Tech Lab. He had even shown the two some of his books although neither of them had been able to figure out the strange ancient text on them.

Then to Coliseum Ruins to see how the reconstruction was going (Pan had had to go there herself to clear out the monsters, the lynel patricuarly annoyed about having to leave it's favourite spot). They had checked out the Great Plateau too, which at that point was pretty much repaired, the gates open and ready for visitors once more, but they hadn't stayed long.

Southwards over the Bridge of Hylia towards the Zonai ruins in Faron, they had found a strange device there, some sort of chain and hook that could latch out and pull an entire person to it which Zelda had decided to call a 'hookshot'.

They had visited Pan of course in Lurelin Village and had stayed a couple of days there in the inn, while Granté felt even more inadequate every day. ( _How is this my life now? How lucky must I have been that the Princess of Hyrule would fall in love with someone like.. me? I'm no-one special, I'm just some random guy.._ ) While they had been there, the four of them had discussed Aryll's old home in Hateno, and evantually they had decided to give it to Zelda and Granté if the two had wanted it. (Zelda had immediately accepted. She liked the idea of living in a place like that instead of an old stuffy castle.)

After that they had returned to Lake Hylia and quickly checked out Deya Village Ruins. It had been one of the only non Central Hyrule settlements to fall in the one hundred years, and that wasn't even because of guardians. It had been because the nearby Deya Lake had risen, flooding the settlement, although the villagers had thankfully managed to escape. There had been a particuarly nasty Stone Talus that had made its home there but Zelda had quickly taken care of it, collecting the gemstones it had dropped and the two hoped that one day this place would be repaired too.

Then finally, the two had continued through the Dueling Peaks and north to Kakariko, finally after a whole almost year of travelling together, fulfilling the promise to come back to Kakariko safely. Impa had scolded her gently but Zelda had just laughed sheepishly. ("Sorry.. I just got distracted!")

But their adventures hadn't stopped there. For another two years they had continued exploring. They had found the other two Lomei labyrinths of course (Granté introducing her to his stunned parents while he had been back in Akkala). Then there had been the strange greyish Hylian Kilton and Zelda had traded him a ton of monster parts, buying a whole set of those weird monster masks as well as a ton of monster extract as Granté had told her about the monster food back in Tarrey Town and she was curious to try it herself. Speaking of Tarrey Town, he took her there too and Granté had given Dorian a fistbump (he didn't know why, but he was starting to see that older Sheikah.. almost like some kind of cousin) and they met the toddler Ganson, a Gerudo _voe_ (had that been a thing before? Granté genuinely didn't know) with mostly red hair and a few black streaks, as well as heterochromia eyes just like Pan's, only they were yellow and green.

The two of them had climbed Gut Check Rock together as the three Gorons, the Goron Blood Brothers, cheered them on. Then there was Typhlo Ruins, a strange place shrouded in darkness that had been seemingly empty. Although while they had been there, a strange shooting star lit up in the darkness of the ruins had appeared in front of them and they had taken it (the Star Fragment as they had later learned) with them.

The Silent Princess that Granté had given Zelda evantually wilted and died given the amount of time that had passed, and he was sadened about that, but it appeared the more they traveled, the more Silent Princesses seemed to be popping up in Hyrule. They had joined up with a young couple on the way, Tye and Sorelia, and both couples had evantually found a Silent Princess. The couple had been so happy, and that had made Zelda and Granté happy too. ("Legend has it if you swear your love before its freshly plucked blossom, you and your partner will live a charmed life." Tye had told them, and Granté had blushed terribly. His hadn't been freshly plucked, it had existed for a hundred years after all, but he still felt charmed every day he spent with Zelda. Not the Princess. Just Zelda.)

They had evantually returned to Castle Town again where the Castle was all but repaired and now work was being done on the houses. Mabe Village was up at this point too, and the two had checked in the inn there for a few days and the rebuilt ranch next to it, and Zelda had gone racing in the ranch like a maniac on the Master Cycle, laughing all the way while cuccos screeched around them.

Over and over they had adventured together, getting closer with each new adventure. Laying under their tent, their hands clasped together as they watched the stars, sharing meals together in the stables they visited, trying new foods each and every time (and Zelda, much like him, _adored_ monster food), meeting new people along the way too, forming bonds with the people of Hyrule. There was no baggage here in this relationship, at least, not anymore. At the beginning, once he had found out who she was, he had been.. kind of distraught actually. He believed he hadn't deserved her. It hadn't helped when one of the soldiers passed over Zelda's diary and research notes recovered from the castle that she had written from one hundred years ago. She had gladly kept the research notes, but as for the diary.. both Granté and the soldier had watched stunned as she dropped it into the Hyrule Castle moat.

"Zelda!" Granté had called for her panicked, looking over the bridge as he watched the diary sink deeper into the water, "That was your _past_! Aren't you at least a little bit curious?"

"Whoever that person was, that isn't _me_ anymore." Zelda had just said, smiling at him, "There's no point in thinking about the past Granté, it's all gone now, what I care about now is the future." she smiled at him and he _melted_ at the sight as she reached for his hand, "My future with _you_ in this land of Hyrule."

"But.. what about the Champions?" Granté had muttered. "You're still friends with them." They had visited each of the races settlements too of course in their journey. "I am." Zelda agreed, "But those are _new_ bonds, not the ones we had before."

And so.. finally, after those words. Granté had accepted the truth that he had known in his heart ever since her met her back then in Akkala. He was in love with her. And that somehow, against all odds, she was in love with him too.

Now as the two looked up at the clouds over Sahasra Slope, their hands clasped together, Granté felt.. peaceful. Serene. She had told him a while back about her supposed feelings for the Hylian Champion, so that their relationship was open and without secrets and while the knowledge had pained him for a little while, it really had meant nothing in the long run. She was right, it was all in the past after all. And maybe he _was_ just some random nobody, but that didn't mean he didn't deserve to be happy here with her. Even if she _had_ been the Princess of Hyrule in another life. Hope bloomed in Granté and his chest felt warm as he felt Zelda move closer to him.

"You want to go check out Hateno and our new home?" there was a mischevious glint in her blue greenish eyes and Granté felt heat rise in his cheeks. "S-sure..?" Zelda just giggled and before he knew it they was back on the Master Cycle Zero, for a new adventure yet ahead.

\---

[FOUR YEARS]

Urbosa was lost in her memories as she walked over the bridge leading to older part of Hateno Village, the little house in front of her exactly the same as it had been one hundred years ago. She had only been here once back then, after Link had shown up with the Master Sword there at the sanctum. Sir Link had shown them the old house where they had lived before the family had moved into Castle Town. The Knight had seemingly been lost in his own memories too. Urbosa still remembered his words from back then vividly as if it had only happened yesterday. ( _"Maybe my wife had been right all long. Maybe we should have never moved to Castle Town."_ )

Urbosa stopped in front of the sign. Once this had said 'Link's House' and then it had said 'Aryll's House' but now it simply said 'Zelda' and 'Granté' with a little heart between the two names. The house still looked exactly like it always had, an older style Hateno home, with a cooking pot outside under the tree, a mini stable to the right and an apple tree in the back. Many of the apples had been plucked from it it seemed. That made sense, even now, after all the things Zelda had tried in her new life, the once Princess had developed a fondness for basic apples. Not even baked ones, just crisp uncooked apples. Far different from the girl who's favourite dish of all time had been the complicated to make fruitcake. In the stable next to the house, Urbosa noted the The Master Cycle parked into it and she chuckled softly. ( _Almost like a real horse.._ )

"Urbosa!" the Gerudo Chief looked up as Daruk came rolling up the cliffside from the back of the house and she raised one finger to her lips, "Shh!"

Daruk let out a gasp as he placed his hands over his mouth. "Right.. sorry." Urbosa looked back to the house, but it appears they hadn't heard him. The last thing they needed was to wake Zelda up. She was probably very tired right now after all.

( _"PREGNANT AT YOUR AGE?! YOU'RE ONLY TWENTY!! DO YOU NOT KNOW WHAT PROTECTION IS?!" Urbosa was practically hollering as the three other Champions stood outside the Hateno home, wincing. It was very rare that Urbosa got this upset but.._

_"A-ah, to be fair Urbosa.." that was Zelda, stammering, "it's not like I knew much of anything considering I lost my entire memory.."_

_"AND WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS GRANTÉ?!"_

_They could hear the half Hylian mumbling through the door, something about how this was his first relationship ever and how he hadn't know much of anything about relationships as he had never really left Akkala Tech Lab before he went to Tarrey Town. Mipha and Revali just looked at each other as their hands tightened together. Even Daruk was quiet. It didn't seem possible, but they could swear Urbosa was getting even louder and people from the main area of Hateno were looking over at the little house now._

_Robbie was practically wheezing inside the home and Jerrin had her hands in her face as she stood just outside the home's entrance, the poor Hylian woman looking like she was about to have a heart attack._

_"ROBBIE ARE YOU LAUGHING?!" Urbosa was screeching._

_"N-no Lady Urbosa.." they could hear Robbie struggling to speak through his wheezes, "I just think it's ironic, considering I didn't have Granté until I was in my nineties.."_

_"THAT JUST MAKES IT WORSE!!"_ )

Urbosa sighed as she came to sit next to Daruk in the grass near the home, looking up into the clouds above. She reached out, touching her chest where the Light of the Hero had entered her. A new being with the possibility to awaken the Blood of the Goddess and _two_ potential Reincarnations of Hatred. Had.. they messed up that day four years ago?

( _No._ She reaffirmed to herself, shaking her head as the Light inside her felt warm and hopeful. _I trust Pan wholeheartedly. And Ganson is only three years old. Tarrey Town is a good place for him. All those different races, all those different perspectives.._ she remembered the Queen's words that day. _No superstitions. We keep moving forwards. That's what they all wanted, all the lives that were sacrificed to give us this happy if a little bittersweet future._ )

"So.." Daruk muttered, "Where are the two lovebirds anyway?" he chuckled a little at the pun, "..Lovebirds.. hah, I'll have to tell Yunobo that one when I get back to Eldin."

Urbosa looked up into the sky. Yes, where _were_ Revali and Mipha anyway? They had all agreed to meet up early when Zelda and Granté's child was born after all.

*

Medoh was lazily heading through the Necluda skies towards Hateno in the distance and Revali and Mipha were sitting together, laying against one of the pillars as one of Mipha's red hands was pressed against his chest, running down against the Zora tunic the Rito wore. Revali cracked open an eye as he looked at Mipha was gently placing kisses on his beak. They really should have made it to Hateno before now, but he was.. distracted. Still, he was proud of the fact he could still pilot Medoh even while she was kissing him like this, her red hand gently stroking through the Zora scales and Rito feathers that made up the bulk of his tunic.

"Mipha.." the Rito muttered quietly, "they're going to get impatient waiting for us you know."

"Mmhm." she moved to kiss his neck and the Rito felt a pleasent shiver run through his body as he chuckled. "You're incorrigible you know Mipha. How am I ever supposed to get any work done when you're like this?"

" _...Mmhm._ " Finally, she pulled away (open honest relationship where what their relationship was only one of many things that mattered in their lives, she reminded herself), moving her hand down to clasp one his wings and the Rito sighed as he took better control of Medoh, making the Divine Beast go a little faster.

Internally, he could feel his spirit Wind giggling a little at the husband and wife, and even Water, the usually stoic spirit of Mipha's Divine Beast (even though Ruta was all the way back in Zora's Domain) had an embarassed feeling flaring through it.

"So.." Mipha was saying quietly and he could almost hear the grin in her voice as she spoke, "When are _we_ going to have a child anyway?"

Revali's eyes widened as he spluttered, "What?! Is that.. something you want?"

"Why not?" Mipha hummed, "We're supposed to be living for our future and the future of Hyrule are we not? Sidon's already taken a lover, that Tula girl back in the Domain. They will probably end up having a child soon. And.. I just think it would be nice. Having a little child of our own, in our home at Hebra Trailhead Lodge." Especially now that they had made it a proper home and not.. whatever _that_ had been back then at the beginning. The shield surfer Selmie had even given them her blessing that they could keep the lodge. They had saved Hyrule after all.

Revali sighed. It had taken a lot of work, but King Dorephan had ultimately given Mipha his blessing to move in with Revali. After all, it's not like she couldn't come back to see them whenever she wanted, with how quickly Ruta could move through the waters. (They were healthier better people now. They could spend as much time apart as they could together). But still he wondered contemplatively. "..Can Rito and Zora even _have_ children together?"

Mipha huffed, "Of course we can! Do you not know anything about your own people's history Revali?" Mipha looked up at him her yellow eyes glinting, "It's said we Rito and Zora had a common ancestor you know. There's a myth saying that Zora-Rito children will be Rito with maybe a few Zora traits. Such as a Zora like beak as well as the ability to hold their breath underwater for longer then usual."

Revali hummed as he shut his eyes, "..Mostly Rito with Zora traits." He liked the idea of training his own child at the Flight Range. "So maybe our child could learn _both_ of our abilities?" He could imagine them now, someone who was adept in both archery and trident combat.

"Possibly. But I would rather her to develop her own unique skill instead. Or she wouldn't even have to develop one at all. I don't really mind."

"Her?" Revali looked at Mipha, not surprised she had thought all this out already, "How long have you been thinking of this Mipha? Let me guess, you already have a name picked out too."

"I do." Mipha smiled, "I've been doing a lot of research into Rito history in the castle library and I discovered a name I thought would be perfect." she smiled wider and Revali shuddered, seeing her sharp Zora teeth in that smile. Oh yes, that had been the first time he had ever really noticed her hadn't it? All those years ago with that sparring session.. Mipha continued, " _Medli_."

*

It didn't take long for the four of them to meet up, Revali landing Medoh right on top of Ebon Mountain. As he did though, they heard a crash and the two Champions staggered slightly. Mipha looked over the Divine Beast, seeing the water under Medoh's feet that was trickling down the mountain, "..Revali I think you just completely destroyed the pond that was here."

"..There's a pond here above Hateno?" Revali huffed, "Well it was never on any map so it couldn't have been important."

The two Champions headed down to the house in the distance, Mipha clinging onto Revali's back while he glided down to the other two Champions. "There you two are finally." Daruk waved at them. "What took you so long?"

As the two came to land, Mipha looked at them, "We checked in on Kakariko on the way, to see how Pan was settling in."

"Yeah?" Daruk crossed his arms, "How was she, the little sister?"

"Well.. she's managing. It helps that Dorian, Kiyah and the girls are with her. As well as Paya and Riju of course."

"Speaking of which.." Urbosa noticed Granté at the door now, the half Sheikah waving at the four. He put his finger up to his lips and tilted his head, opening the door up as quietly as possible as he let the four in.

The four Champions quietly entered the home. It was more or less the same inside as before, the only difference being that near the stairs there were two wepaon mounts. One had the Master Sword, that Zelda had placed up on after she had retired from her adventuring (at least for now while she had an infant to raise) and the other had the Shield that Granté had found in the then ruins of Hyrule Castle, the very same Shield that Link had rarely used back then one hundred years ago to practice his shield parry: the Hylian Shield.

The four Champions quietly approached the two beds under the loft. Zelda looked tired, but _happy_ (Urbosa was reminded of the look on her dear friend's face when she had brought the Princess to Gerudo Town all those years ago) and between them was a crib. Urbosa's heart melted. "Oh.. Zelda, she's beautiful." A spitting image of her mother when she had been a baby.

Granté looked at her stunned but Zelda just giggled a little. She supposed knowing what little she knew of her family, that was an honest mistake to make but.. "Sheik Junior's a _boy_."

All four Champions quickly erupted with shock. " _..WHAT?!_ " 

*

In Tarrey Town, holding hands with Riju and Paya, and wearing her traditional Sheikah style clothing, the just turned seventeen year old Pan entered the inn. Dorian was outside, nervously shuffling the blue nightshade that was attached to his suit and through the now closed door she could hear them speaking, "I cannot believe you brought a cucco to my wedding Cado."

Cado just laughed, "You're lucky I only brought the one. I almost brought all of them, but Rola outright refused. It would have been a mess to keep control of them after all." Dorian just sighed.. and then laughed, a deep but happy content laugh. Pan's heart felt light. It was a shame the Champions couldn't come (they had their duties to attend too after all) but everyone else was here. The respresentives, Kass of course, as well as the reunited Cado and Rola, as well as Paya. Impa hadn't been able to make it to Tarrey Town as she still had to stay in Kakariko, and of course Granté and Robbie couldn't have come, as the two were still back in Hateno with Zelda and wouldn't leave her. Paya had invited her aunt Purah, but the now ten year old (she was aging normally again after all) Sheikah scientist had refused. ( _"Now that the Royal Ancient Lab is back up and running I want to continue my research here. I'm not going off to a wedding for two people I barely know." Paya had frowned, "But wasn't Kiyah your previous assistants daughter..?" Purah had just yelled at her to leave and Pan had the distinct impression that that hostility was hiding something deeper.._ )

Hudson's family wasn't here either as Rhondson and Ganson had gone off to Gerudo Town for what was becoming a regular occurance for the three, even if Hudson himself had to stay in Kara Kara Bazaar while the other two were in the town. ("Gerudo Town!" the toddler had excitedly babbled and Pan had been so happy to see it.)

Even the three non born Yiga Clan members were healing. She had heard from Riju a while back that Arbiter, the Gerudo voe had returned to speak with the soldiers, albeit a little relunctantly, and that he had struck up an odd friendship with Vilia who was now a permanent resident of Gerudo Town and was in a happy relationship with Barta. Then there was Kitt, the Rito. Teba had sent her a letter saying how he had recently returned to Rito Village, just out of curiousity to meet Revali, and seemed much happier, as Revali had invited him to the archery sparring sessions they had with Teba and Harth. She had even recieved a letter from Rozel, informing her of Dot who had come to see his own village of Lurelin after decades to see the place and how they had discussed how the village had changed over the years.

Of course in the end, all three had returned to the Clan. They all saw Kurasa Valley and the family that was slowly being built there as their true home. But they seemed more happier now, especially now that the blademasters seemed more relaxed and content with their new lives, even if they were still ambushing and stealing from the Hyrulean populace. (Well, can't expect thieves to change completely after all.) It wasn't all good news from the Clan though. Apparantly Dorian had sent a letter to his ex partner Bant (the very same footsoldier who had let her into the hideout all those years ago) inviting him to the wedding, but had never recieved a reply. Even now, Pan wondered about that seperate branch of the Clan that had appeared those years ago and she genuinely hoped they had returned to the Clan in the end.

As the three girls came to sat at the inn's table, Pan saw Kiyah who was twirling around in her wedding dress with Rola next to her. A dark _blue_ dress. Pan gasped, "Did Claree make that with my old Sheikah stealth outfit you bought for me?!"

Kiyah just beamed and nodded at her. The Sheikah woman was nearing her mid to late fourties now, with Dorian himself being almost fifty, but she was just as amazing as she had always been. Before Pan knew it, she was moving to hug Kiyah, tears filling her eyes (happy tears for once). "I'm so happy for you.. mother."

Kiyah just barely managed to hold it together as she hugged Pan back. For so long, Kiyah had never believed this day would come. She had Dorian back with her, and they even had a new member of their little family. Kiyah shut her eyes, remembering the day before..

( _The two were sitting on their bed while the girls were outside, just cuddling together, even though Dorian's legs were so tall now that his feet hung over the side of the bed._

_"Dorian?"_

_"Mmhm?"_

_Kiyah shut her eyes, "I just can't believe this time tomorrow you and I will officially be husband and wife." Dorian just sighed, holding her close, and Kiyah swallowed her breath for a moment before continuing, "I was.. thinking you know.. about that night just over a month before you left."_

_Dorian's eyes widened and he turned away from her raising his free hand to his flushing face, "..Kiyah, we don't have to talk about this."_

_"No. I need too. Is that okay?"_

_"..Yes of course dear."_

_She took in another breath, "For so long I wanted to be a pillar of support for you, telling you over and over again to not believe the Clan's lies, showing you things I thought would interest you like that fairy at the fairy fountain. And just.. trying to be as supportive as I possibly could be to you." Dorian swallowed. He remembered. "And then.. that one night, I completely fell apart and it was you who had to look after me."_

_"Kiyah you were drunk. I don't hold it against you."_

_She reached out with her free hand, rubbing her eyes, "I still chose to have Lasli watch over Koko, and I was the one decided to drink. I had never drunk alcohol in my entire life before that. And then you left." she shut her eyes, "I.. I thought it was my fault."_

_Dorian shot up from the bed, his grey eyes wide, "No.. no!" his stomach was twisting in knots, "You lived with that guilt all those years?"_ _Kiyah looked over at him, smiling sadly and Dorian could feel himself start to sob as he trembled, "I'm sorry Kiyah. I'm so.. sorry. I should have never left I should have--"_

_"Shh shh it's okay." Kiyah moved to sit up, wrapping her arms around Dorian's trembling shoulders as the soon to be husband and wife held each other. "I now know the truth about why you left, and I've let the past go. As should you. I just thought.. that you deserved to know the truth before we got married tomorrow."_

_..Right. Dorian shut his eyes. Keep moving forwards. To be better people, each and every day._ )

And so Dorian and Kiyah found themselves in the same place Hudson and Rhondson had been four years ago as all their loved ones surrounded them, with Koko, Cottla and Pan being the closest to them. The 15 year old Koko and 10 year old Cottla were flower girls, carrying bouquets of blue nightshade, while Pan was the ring bearer. Instead of Fyson's stand being clear, it was Rhondson's this time that had all the food since she wasn't here at the moment to operate her armour store. There was a plethora of food, local specialites from all the settlements (even a rock roast for Yunobo) as well as seafood paella, meat stuffed pumpkin and a massive fruitcake for everyone. They had really pulled out all the stops for this.

Dorian looked over at all the guests and.. he could sense someone else watching. Yiga magic? Only one person though. He looked around the area again but he couldn't see anyone. Maybe Bant had decided to show up after all and was just hiding because of how things had ended between them last time? It was unlikely at this point that Bant would ever leave the Clan after all. Dorian let it go. He would never forgive Kohga after all, but he had no beef with the rest of the Clan now. It was all in the past. It had been a part of his past that he had accepted. He hadn't even used disguise magic to make himself shorter for today, accepting everything that he had been and continuing to move forwards. Even if it was kind of awkward with such a height difference between him and Kiyah. He would have to bend down to kiss her.

Kapson gave a little cough, "Silence please, everyone. We shall now begin. We are gathered here today to join Dorian and Kiyah in matrimony." the Zora looked to Dorian who couldn't take his eyes off Kiyah. She was so radiant, and that dark blue dress brought out the red of her eyes even more.. "Dorian. Before the eyes of these witnesses and before those of Goddess Hylia, do you take Kiyah to be your wife, to have and to hold, in good times, and in bad?"

He didn't even care that Kapson had mentioned that Goddess. Even if he _had_ he would have let it go anyway. The Goddess wasn't here, only they Hyruleans were. And he wasn't going to get upset at Kapson because of his faith, even if he himself was a raging atheist. "I do."

"Excellent. And Kiyah. Before the eyes of these witnesses and before those of Goddess Hylia. do you take Dorian as your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health?"

Kiyah beamed at Dorian and the Sheikah man melted at the happy content look on her face, "I do."

"Excellent. And so dearly beloved, please help me in greeting this newly married couple. I wish this couple nothing but the utmost happiness as they set out on this journey of marital bliss!"

Next thing Dorian knew, he was being twirled in Kiyah's arms and she was lowering his back down to kiss him. ( _..What?_ ) There's no way she had the strength to do that in his full blademaster height and weight. His eyes must have wide because she was grinning at him. Behind them, Cado was outright _cackling_. "How are you..?"

"I wanted to surprise you." Kiyah was whispering, "Ever since you told me we were going to get married, I've been training with Cado the last four years in order to build up the strength to do this."

Dorian felt almost delirious and his knees were buckling as he lay in her (insanely strong) arms.

"..Goddess, Kiyah, I _love_ you."

"And I love you too dear."

*

After the festivities were over Pan pulled out the Sheikah slate, activating the camera rune, as Dorian, Kiyah, Koko and Cottla huddled together (Dorian bending on his knees a little to get into the frame). "Pan, dear." Kiyah said to her sadly, "Can you not get someone else to do that? We want _you_ in the picture too you know."

But Pan just waved at them, smiling widely, "It's fine. Only I'm able to use the slate after all." that wasn't neccesarily true, but everyone who _could_ use the slate wasn't here at the moment. Then suddenly, she felt the slate being plucked from her fingers and she turned around to see.. oh.

Dorian frowned. "..Pikango." That explained the Yiga magic he had sensed before. He had no idea the ex Yiga was even back in Hyrule. Unless that was _Bant_ disguised as Pikango. But why would a Yiga disguise themselves as another ex Yiga? The reformed Sheikah painter just smiled and waved at them. "Go on ..Pan was it? I'll take the picture for you."

Despite herself, Pan moved back to the family and Koko and Cottla each grabbed one of her arms and Kiyah and Dorian both placed a hand on her shoulder. Pan smiled widely, a happy feeling fluttering in her chest as Pikango took the picture. Family. This was her _family_.

Dorian was smiling widely for the picture, but his brain was running a mile a minute. He knew only direct descendants of the monk could use that slate. Pikango hadn't even been _born_ in the Clan, he had been born in Kakariko after all. So.. it had to be Bant. But that would make Bant.. Dorian recoiled. Of course, now it all made sense. No wonder why Kohga had been so reulctant to talk about possible children he may or may not have had. He had probably been ashamed that such a footsoldier had been his son. They were even alike weren't they? Bant sure did love his naps after all, just like Kohga did. Despite himself, his anger at Kohga grew even more and he found himself wanting to get Bant out of that Clan even more. ( _Hypocrite. How did Pan even reform him in the first place?_ )

After the picture was taken, 'Pikango' returned the slate and Pan smiled at him sadly. "..Thanks." 'Pikango' just nodded at her, "No problem kid." As the rest of the family returned to the food table, the Sheikah painter turned to leave the village and before he knew what he was doing, Dorian rushed after him, "Wait." he reached out, grabbing 'Pikango''s wrist and the Sheikah painter, startled looking up at him wide almost fearful eyes. "Y-yeah..?"

"Don't forget what I told you." Dorian murmured softly, "There's always a place for you back in Kakariko if you want it."

A confused look crossed the painter's face before he gave a sharp laugh. "Sorry Dorian, I think you've got me confused with someone else. Remember, I left the Clan before you did after all." he looked away and there was a sadened look to his eyes, "..But I'm proud of you, you know. Leaving the Clan. Doing everything you did, couldn't have been easy. I just ran away from Hyrule like a coward."

There was something Dorian wasn't getting here. But fine, if Bant wanted to keep playing this game, he would continue to play along too. "I'm proud of you too." Oh dear, was Pikango actually _shaking_? He could even see _tears_ forming in the elderly Sheikah's eyes. Dorian let him go, waving at him and returned to his family and the Sheikah painter watched him for a moment before leaving the town gate, heading south from the village towards Kaepora Pass.

In his disguise as the Sheikah painter, Kohga took a deep breath. That had been far too close. He had only come here to see the wedding, but when Pan wouldn't even let herself be part of the picture, he knew he had to act. Thankfully, Dorian had been none the wiser. He had seemed to think he was someone else. As he headed towards East Sokkala Bridge (he just needed to to get out of Akkala and then he could teleport away back to Kurasa Valley) someone suddenly called for him.

"Master Kohga."

Kohga's eyes widened as he span around and found Pan looking at him, a sadened look in her heterochromia blue and green eyes. He sighed. "Somehow I'm not surprised you were able to see through my disguise magic. I'm honestly surprised _Dorian_ couldn't."

"His Yiga magic senses are getting duller thanks to him not using disguise magic himself anymore." she said quietly, "I've never had that problem though." she raised two fingers as talismans appeared around her and then Kohga was stunned as a he saw a trainee in front of him. A very familiar looking trainee who he had once tried to comfort in front of the statues of the Eight Heroines.. "You?! That trainee was _you_?!"

" _Child_ Master Kohga."

"Yes.. sorry, child." Old habits and all. He was over 120 years old now after all.

She released the spell and then Pan was in front of him again. "Go talk to him. Tell him who you are."

Kohga shivered. "I.. can't."

"You came here for a reason. I still don't know why, but if you just _talked_ to him--" Pan was stepping forwards and there was a wild look in her eyes, "I can tell you're miserable Master Kohga and I don't _like_ it. You're the only one here who's not happy and I just want--"

"Pan." Kohga was speaking softly, "You _saved_ the Yiga Clan. Let that be enough. You can't make _everyone_ happy, some people are just.. too _broken_ for that. If you run around trying to make everyone happy all the time, all you're going to do is destroy yourself in the end." his arms were wrapping around her shoulders and she could feel tears filling up her eyes. "And you deserve to be happy too, little granddaugher."

..Granddaughter? Pan laughed, despite the bubbling feelings inside her. "Why not daughter?"

In his disguise as the painter, Kohga tilted his head. "I think I would too old to be your father, don't you agree?" She shut her eyes and swallowed, nodding as her arms wrapped around his back.

"But.. maybe I'll write him a letter and explain everything. One day." Kohga said quietly as he pulled away from her, "Not today. But one day." ( _Maybe when I'm on my death bed_ he thought guiltily, even though he knew that if he did so that would make him even _more_ selfish) "Is that enough?"

"I suppose it's going to have to be."

Kohga waved at her, "Be good, be kind, and be _happy_ Pan. Okay?"

She smiled at him as she touched her chest, "That's the plan Master Kohga."

*

As the sun was setting in Tarrey Town, Pan lay sitting down against the inn, with Riju and Paya curled up into her shoulders, one of their hands clasped together on top of her chest, Pan was scrolling through the pictures on the slate. There was the one just taken with her, Dorian, Kiyah, Koko and Cottla. She scrolled over. There was the one she had taken in Hateno. It was of the four Champions, as well as Robbie, Jerrin, Zelda, Granté and the infant Junior in Zelda's arms. She scrolled over again. There was the one she had taken the last time she was in Tarrey Town. All the Son employess and the toddler Ganson, carrying a wooden training sword and standing on Rhondson's table (poor Rhondson had an appaled look on her face at her son blatantly disregarding the rules about standing on tables). She chuckled at the memory as she continued to scroll through the pictures, there was one of her with Riju and Paya not long ago at Kakariko for her 17th birthday (she had gotten Granté to take this picture).

She scrolled again and.. oh, this one made her smile. Robbie had taken it, and it was of the four representives, and her.. and also Dorian who had a disgruntled look on his face.. but was also _smiling_.

( _"Why do you want me to be part of this picture anyway?" Dorian had grumbled as he was pulled into the shot._

_"Well, you are a representive just like us mister Dorian sir." Yunobo had said._

_"..What? No I'm not. What am I the representive for?"_

_Teba nodded, "The Yiga Clan of course."_

_Dorian stared at Pan, he looked deadpan and yet despite that she could hear the amusement in his voice, "Pan, make them stop."_

_She had just beamed, "Nope. You're one of us. You did fight alongside us all in Gerudo Desert after all._ )

Pan continued to scroll through the photos. So many memories. So much time she had spent with her loved ones, and so much more time to go. She couldn't wait. As she reached the end of the photos, her eyes widened. Oh.. she had forgot about this picture. The four Sheikah spirits, Maz Koshia, Chi Koshia and.. she swallowed. Many times now, she had thought about deleting this picture, but in the end she never could bring herself too. ( _Looking to the future huh? What a hypocrite I am._ ) This was a bad idea.. but despite herself, Pan tapped her head to the Sheikah slate as she delved into the memories one final time.

( _She awoke and found herself in the lower chambers of the Shrine of Resurrection and in front of her.. Pan shivered. That was Chi Koshia and the boy who evantually became Ganon. Chi was laying on her stomach, her chin pressed against her crossed arms. The boy must have been.. six, maybe seven years old and he was drawing down on a piece of parchment, his tongue poked out in concentraion._

_"What are you drawing kiddo?" Chi asked softly and the boy beamed as he pulled up the parchment. There was a picture of a sword on it. And Pan's heart fell. She knew that sword._

_"Master Sword." the boy spoke, "I want to be the first ever Sheikah Hero. Do you think I can do it aunt Chi?"_

_Chi smiled softly, "Of course. You can be anyone you want to be."_ )

Pan ripped herself from the memory violently. It all made sense now. That was why the Calamity had been so focused on the Master Sword. The moblin had been staring at it all the way back there in Kakariko Village. The possessed Urbosa had tried to claim it for her own too. She was _hyperventilating_. "Pan!" Riju cried for her, but she couldn't hear their cries.

The Reincarnation of Hatred who wanted to be a Hero. And the Hero who seemingly ended up becoming the Reincarnation of Hatred.

( _"Interesting. You're just like me aren't you?"_ )

Had he known back then what was going to happen to her?

( _It was after she had chased out the monsters from Coliseum Ruins. As the lynel glared at her and left the Coliseum, Pan returned to Zelda and Granté who were waiting for her. But then she felt it. There were others glaring at her. "Don't know why they let her stay here. Those powers, talking to the monsters, controlling them? That's not natural."_

 _Her hands clasped over her chest, but Zelda was rushing for her, glaring at them. "Stop it! All of you!" they rushed off, "Y-yes, sorry Princess Zelda!" She glared at them even more for the title before returning Pan to where Granté was waiting for them. They had all told her constantly there was nothing wrong with her, that she was a good kind person who was loved.. and yet.._ )

Tears spilling from her eyes, she somehow managed to reopen them and found everyone looking over her worriedly. Dorian, Kiyah, Koko, Cottla, Kass, Sidon, Yunobo, Teba.. Riju and Paya. She reached out for her girlfriends hands and.. let it all go. Not everyone was going to like her. And that was okay. It had to be okay. All she could do, was keep moving forwards with all of them, the people who _did_ love her. Returning back to her normal breathing, she smiled at them as Riju and Paya came to hug her close, the two girls shaking.

*

A few nights later, with Pan back in her bed in Kakariko Village in the loft in Kiyah's home, with Koko and Cottla sleeping in the beds next to her own and Dorian and Kiyah asleep downstairs, Pan found herself looking at that photo again as Kohga's words came back to her.

( _"If you run around trying to make everyone happy all the time, all you're going to do is destroy yourself in the end."_ )

Pan took a deep breath.

And deleted the picture from the slate's memory banks.

~Fin

_An ancient hero a Calamity appears_  
_Now resurrected after ten thousand years_

_The appointed Knight gives his life_  
_Saves Hyrule and pays the price_

_The Princess raises a blade towards its roar_  
_And changes Hyrule's destiny forevermore_

_A girl born on the Crimson Moon feels the toll_  
_And bears the brunt of history on her soul_

_The spirit splits, a Hero gone_  
_Yet exists in us all in the birth of a new dawn_

_For anyone can be a Hero if they so choose_  
_And even yet they can also refuse_

_Let yourself be happy, even admist history's pain_  
_Lest you become a Link in a Chain_


End file.
